11 

86 



pv i DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH 



BULLETIN NO. 1 




SUBJECT 



Hungarian Partridge and Pheasants 
In Missouri 







JESSE A. TOLERTON 

STATE GAME AND FISH 
COMMISSIONER 



THE HUGH STEPHENS PRINTING COMPANY, 
JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI. 



PROMINENT PEOPLE 



FROM ALL OVER THE STATE 



WROTE THESE LETTERS 



TO 



JESSE A. TOLERTON 

STATE GAME AND FI8H 
COMMISSIONER. 



THIS IS WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THE 
STATE GAME FARM 



AND THE EXPERIMENT OF RAISING CHINA PHEASANTS 
AND HUNGARIAN PARTRIDGES IN MISSOURI 



SOME INSIDE FACTS BY THOSE 
WHO KNOW THEM 



No. 1—1 



JESSE A. TOLERTON, 
State Game and Fish Commissioner. 

Jefferson City, Mo. 



HARTLEY A. BROADBENT, 
Expert Game Breeder, State Farm. 

Jefferson City, Mo. 



E. T. GRETHER, Chief Deputy, 

St. Louis Branch Office. 

70! Fullerton Bldg. 



Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2011 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/bulletinOOmiss 



State of Missouri, State Game and Fish Department, 
City of Jefferson, October 25, 1911. 

Honorable H. S. Hadley, Governor of Missouri, City of Jefferson: 

Dear Sir — Since preparing my annual report and a pamphlet con- 
taining two hundred letters from prominent citizens of the State, giving 
their experience with the Hungarian partridges and pheasants, you will 
note from the enclosed correspondence that the State Printing Commis- 
sion has declined to honor my requisition for this printing. I immedi- 
ately sent these documents to the Hugh Stephens Printing Company and 
ordered them printed, guaranteeing the payment of the bill. 

I also issued a letter to a number of my sportsmen and farmer 
friends throughout the State telling them of the refusal of the Commis- 
sion to allow this printing, and up to the time of going to press I have 
received a number of letters enclosing checks made payable to The 
Hugh Stephens Printing Company, and am satisfied I will have no 
trouble in raising a good portion of the expenses for printing these 
documents. 

I hand you herewith a copy of my letters to Mr. Cornelius Roach, 
chairman of the State Printing Commission, also his replies, in which 
he sets out the reasons why they decline to issue requisition. 

I consider it very important that both the reports be printed for 
free distribution, in order that the people of the State may be advised 
as to the success or failure of these birds, as well as giving other in- 
formation contained in my annual report. 

Yours very truly, 

JESSE A. TOLERTON, 

State Game and Fish Commissioner^ 

(3) 



October 16, 1911. 
Hon. Cornelius Roach, Secretary of Printing Commission, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir— I am in receipt of a letter from the Hugh Stephens Printing Com- 
pany stating that the Printing Commission has approved my requisition for hunt- 
ers' licenses, application blanks and record books, but is holding up the annual re- 
port and the pamphlet which I desire printed for distribution, showing the success 
or failure of the Hungarian partridges and pheasants which have been distributed 
throughout the State. I am anxious to have these two documents just as soon as 
possible, and I write to ask the cause of delay in delivery to the printer. 

Yours very truly, 

JESSE A. TOLERTON, 
State Game and Fish Commissioner. 



October 16, 191 1. 
Hon. Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Warden, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — The State Printing Commission declines to issue requisition for 
printing matter submitted as "Bulletin No. 1" and "1911 Annual Report" because 
(1) your appropriation for printing for biennial period is already overdrawn; (2) 
and because an annual report required by law in January comes too late for action 
In October. 

The fixed policy of the State Printing Commission is to make as few de- 
ficiencies of any kind as are consistent with good public service, and while October 
is late for a January report, the Printing Commission will issue requisition for 
printing your annual report if the copy for said report be made strictly to conform 
to the law authorizing the report, in harmony with this Commission's action in 
already having issued requisitions for license blanks and such printing as is neces- 
sary to carry on the business of your department. 

Very truly, 

(Signed) CORNELIUS ROACH, 
Chairman State Printing Commission. 

October 20, 191 1. 
Hon. Cornelius Roach, Secretary State Printing Commission, City: 

Dear Sir — I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of October 16th, in 
-which you decline requisition for printing matter submitted for the printing of my 
annual report for the year 191 1, and also for Bulletin No. 1, for the reason, as 
stated, that the appropriation for printing for the biennial period is already over- 
drawn, and because the law requires the annual report to be published in January 
of each year. 

You, however, state that the Printing Commission will issue requisition "for 
printing your annual report if the copy of said report be made strictly to conform 
to the law authorizing the report." 

In reply to your communication, I beg to call your attention to the fact that 
in the month of January of this year no appropriation had been made for printing 
in my department, and, in fact, the question of the continuance of the department 
itself was a subject of active controversy in the Legislature. It would, therefore, 
have been highly inadvisable, under those circumstances, to have requested the 
printing of the annual report at that time. Laws of this character have further 
jbeen construed as directory, and are so treated in the printing of reports for the 
.different State departments. 

In answer to your statement that you will issue requisition for the printing of 
• v this report if the copy for said report be made to strictly conform to the law au- 



thorizing tJae report, I request that you indicate any portion of said report that is- 
not in conformity to the law authorizing the same, and I shall be very glad, indeed. 
to eliminate it. 

Awaiting your further communication, I am 

Very truly yours, 

JESSE A. TOLERTON, 
State Game and Fish Commissioner. 

October 23, 191 1. 
Hon. Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Warden, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of yours of October 20> 
191 1, requesting that the State Printing Commission indicate what portion of the 
copy you submitted for your annual report is not in conformity with the law au- 
thorizing the printing of the report. 

I would respectfully refer you to section 6561, R. S. of Mo., 1909, which, spe- 
-cifkally sets out affirmatively, not negatively, what the report shall contain, viz. : 

(1) Number of hunters' licenses issued and fees therefrom. 

(2) Moneys received by your department from other fees and sources. 

(3) Number of deputies employed. 

(4) All necessary information concerning the affairs of your department. 

The State Printing Commission is loath to interpret the plain provisions of 
section 6561, since you are favored with the counsel of such an able attorney as 
the Governor. The said section (6561') requires that your report be made to. the 
Governor. The State Printing Commission does not regard, for example, a score 
or more of full-page pictures of yourself and the Governor "Afloat on White 
River" as "necessary" information to be printed for the Governor's perusal, as he 
is already fully aware of the important bearing this has on the protection of the 
State's game. The State Printing Commission is of the opinion that the original 
photograph of all such scenes will accomplish all the purpose's contemplated in the 
law requiring the report to be made to the Governor. The State Printing Com- 
mission does not regard as "necessary," for instance, voluminous treatises on me- 
teorological conditions; nor does the State Printing Commission regard it "neces- 
sary" to print the hundred and thousands of letters your department has received, 
the printing of sxich correspondence not being pertinent in the matter of the en-, 
forcement of the game law. The Governor ma}' read these letters in the original — - 
if he has not already done so — and save to the State the heavy and needless ex- 
pense of printing. 

Your explanation that the January, 191 1, report has been delayed till October 
because the very existence of jour department was a matter of controversy in the 
Legislature last February, does not explain, because the cost of the January, 1911? 
report should have been incurred and the printing should have been done before 
your appropriation for 1910, the year covered by the report, had lapsed. The 
Legislature, when in session last winter, was entitled to all necessary information 
this report should contain, and your neglect in this regard certainly did not have 
the effect of allaying the unpleasant agitation affecting your administration of the 
affairs of the office you have the honor to hold. 

In view of the fact that the law requires your report to be made to the Gov- 
ernor, the State Printing Commission is somewhat perplexed to understand why 
your requisition calls for a thousand copies, since it is probable that the many 
official duties pressing the Governor for attention will prevent his reading more 
than one copy. 

Very truly yours, 

CORNELIUS ROACH, 

Chairman State Printing Commission, 



Jefferson City, Mo., October 25, 191 1. 
Hon. Cornelius Roach/Chairman State Printing Commission, City: 

Dear Sir — I have yours of the 23rd, in which you attempt to make excuses 
-why the Printing Commission declines to honor my requisition covering my annual 
report for 1910, together with a pamphlet I have prepared reproducing two hundred 
letters from responsible people in different counties of the State, showing the suc- 
cessful propagation of imported game birds. I note what you say about my having 
collected some hunting and fishing scenes, together with pictures of the State game 
farm, and which also includes a picture of Governor Hadley and party on a float 
on White river, and that your Commission does not regard these scenes as "nec- 
essary," and should not be printed at the State's expense. In this connection I 
venture the assertion that the sportsmen of the State who contribute to the game 
protection fund would be far more enthusiastic over these pictures than the tax- 
payers of the State are over the picture of your family on page six of Missouri's 
Official Manual, issued by you for the years 1900-10. 

I want to also call your attention to the fact that my report of 1910 contains 
similar pictures, both of hunting and fishing scenes, and that ten thousand copies 
were, with your approval, printed at the expense of the game protection fund, and 
under exactly the same law as is now in force. 

I also take it from your letter, in which you state that the report referred to 
should have been printed and paid for out of the 1910 appropriation, that you and 
the Auditor, who constitute a majority of this Commission, are again ready to re- 
verse yourselves, since you have insisted that the printing of the Banking Depart- 
ment report for 1910 should be paid out of the appropriation for 1911-12. 

I note what } r ou say about the Commission not regarding it "necessary" to 
•print the hundreds of letters this department has received dealing with the success- 
ful propagation of such imported game birds as the partridges and pheasants. I 
consider the printing of these letters necessary, in order that the people of Mis- 
souri may know the results obtained through the expenditure of public funds and 
the falsity of the articles circulated by the Democratic Press Bureau, for which, it 
Is understood, you are largely responsible, to the effect that the efforts of this de- 
partment to stock the State with imported game birds has been a failure. I am 
advising those who are making application for these documents that it seems to be 
the opinion of the Printing Commission that only one copy of the report should be 
printed, and that for the use Of the Governor, notwithstanding the fact that we 
have a general statute making it mandatory on all heads of the departments to 
furnish the State Historical Society of Missouri with sixty copies of all publi- 
cations of the State, "except the reports of the Supreme Court and the Courts of 
Appeals," as set out in section 6700, page 2127, R. S. 1909. 

For your information, I want to say that the matters which you say the report 
should contain, numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4, were given to all the members of the Legis- 
lature who asked for them, and especially each member of the investigating com- 
mittee last winter. Every member of that committee was given an advance 
sheet, showing the number of licenses issued, fees collected therefor, and all mon- 
eys received from other sources, every deputy employed, their names and per diem 
and expenses, and all other information that the committee asked for was always 
forthcoming, and much of which was never permitted to go into the record, but 
■which, in my opinion, would have made interesting reading for the public. No- 
body familiar with the action of the last Legislature entertains any doubt on the 
proposition that the effort to destroy game protection in this State was due to 
partisan efforts and opposition to game propagation, rather than any lack of in- 
formation about the successful conduct of my department. 

The writer is not disposed to enter upon a campaign of silly letter writing, 



for which your tetiet (OfttU 3 fcwifl for to rloinjc, and f do not regard it nece ■ •= / 
fo* BM to indulge in flippancy or facetiousness m dealing with what I and a large 
majority of the people of the State consider as matters of serious public impor- 
tance. 

In conclusion, however, I want to say that, as I stated to you in your office, 
that you may rest easy, because both of these reports are going to be printed and 
cin iilared to all tfnrOttgfootrt the State who desire a copy of them. 

Your; /'■ry truly, 

JESSE A. TOLERTON, 

State Game and Fish Commissioner. 



WILL IT PAY? 



It is an ordinance of nature that mankind should blunder while 
learning, and best of all, that he should learn by his blunders. 

'We are living in an age in which few people are satisfied with the 
state of affairs in which they exist. This longing for "something 
better ' ' is what makes progress in the world. Step by step mankind has 
progressed from crude ideas to higher civilization. 

Nothing is too good for us, we want the best — and then some more. 
The higher the civilization the more does the individual depend upon 
the functions of government to secure his just share of the general 
progress. Nations, states and cities are now performing public duties 
which our forefathers, in the very nature of things, could not have 
even dreamed of. There is room for all of us to live in this Great State of 
ours, and living in it, should not mean merely existing nor merely work- 
ing in drudgery. 

The civilization which can not produce something better than con- 
stant drudgery is not worthy of the name, and the statesmanship which 
has no higher aim than that, is an heirloom from the dark ages. 

Fortune has placed me at the head of a new department in the 
government of the State of Missouri, created for the purpose of con- 
serving and perpetuating the natural resources of fish and game in this 
Commonwealth, for the pleasure and recreation of her citizens, as well 
as increasing the variety of her food supply. 

In thus carrying out the duties imposed upon me, by a most com- 
prehensive game and fish law, I am constantly brought face to face with 
that retrogressive element in our community, which is the remnant of 
primitive mankind, which though outwardly having the appearance of 
modern enlightenment, is in reality but a reincarnation from past ages. 

I have been striving to restock the State with game birds, imported 
from foreign countries, which game birds are very prolific in those 
countries, where the natural conditions seem to be similar to those of 
Missouri. 

(8)- 




Hungarian Partridges. 



An ample source of revenue was provided, through a system of 
nominal hunting licenses, similar to those in vogue in other states, and 
I seriously attempted to carry out the provisions of the law, which 
contemplated the restocking and replenishing of our State with game 
and fish. 

In thus trying to really accomplish something beneficial to the resi- 
dents of Missouri, I have been constantly hampered, maligned and ridi- 
culed by persons who assume it to be their duty to not only themselves 
place obstacles in my path of duty, but who, through misleading news- 
paper articles, strive to inflame the minds of the uninformed, to dis- 
regard the State laws, for the protection, preservation and propagation 
of game and fish which are the common property of all of the people. 
After failure in legislative attempt to amend or repeal those laws, they 
now seek to create disrespect for them, either in the interest of the illegal 
game and fish dealers, or in the hope of discrediting the administration 
of the political party of which I am a member, or with both of these 
ulterior motives as the basis of their activities. 

Certainly they have private axes to grind, and are not prompted: 
by the welfare of the general public, unless their dense ignorance pre- 
vents a proper conception of the uses and purposes of game and fish 
laws. 

It may be that in attempting to introduce imported game birds into 
Missouri, I have blundered, but the law of nature which makes mankind 
blunder, before knowledge is acquired, is no excuse why the people 
should be blind and heedless of the facts in this case, and place them- 
selves beneath the rule, either of the knavish schemer or, still worse, 
the sodden fool. 

Will it pay to continue these experiments? That is the question 
we should determine. How shall this question be answered if not 
through a report of the experiences of those public spirited persons who 
have undertaken to aid this department in rearing, distributing and 
earing for the new supply of game birds purchased with the money 
collected from the sale of t hunting licenses? 

About a year and a half has passed since I first started the Mis- 
souri Game Farm, and began the purchase, breeding and distribution of 
game birds to the farms of some of our best known Missourians. I 
recently sent to some of the parties receiving the newly imported birds, 
a circular letter if inquiry relative to the success or failure of my ex- 
periment with these birds, of which the following is a copy : 



10 

Office of the State Game and Fish Commissioner, 
Jefferson City, Missouri. 
Dear Sir — Your name appears on the files of this office as one to whom 
some pheasants or Hungarian partridges were sent. I am issuing about 
200 letters similar to this one to parties who have received some of these 
birds for the purpose of gathering information which will be published in 
pamphlet form for free distribution, showing what success these birds have 
made during the past year. 

I will appreciate it very much if you will write me a frank letter, stating 
whether or not you fed your birds through the winter of 1910-11, or if they 
seemed to be able to take care of themselves equally as well as the bob-white 
and other birds; also give me such information as you have as to whether 
or not they hatched any young ones in their wild state, giving me the number 
of birds, as nearly as you can, that are on your premises, also any you happen 
to know of on your neighbors' premises. State whether or not, in your 
opinion, the birds are bad to migrate, providing they have sufficient cover and 
water where liberated, and whether or not they are able to take care of them- 
selves against hawks, owls and other vermin. In short, give all the informa- 
tion you have that you think will be of interest to the public. Be sure to 
state whether you received pheasants or Hungarian partridges. 

Yours very truly, 

JESSE A. TOLERTON, 

State Game and Fish Commissioner. 

As stated in the circular letter, I requested this information with a 
view of publishing it in pamphlet form, for the benefit of the public, 
in order that they might judge for themselves as to what the future of 
the partridge and pheasant is likely to be in this State. The letters are 
reproduced exactly as written, and all letters are offered in evidence, 
good, bad and indifferent, nothing is concealed. 

But even after reading the hundreds of letters from people who 
have been assisting me with this experiment and other nattering reports 
I am receiving, I am not yet ready to say that either the partridge or 
pheasant can be made a success in this State ; though I do feel that the 
people who have created this fund by purchasing hunters' licenses are 
entitled to the experiment, and I am satisfied that my action in under- 
taking this work meets with their approval, as well as it does with the 
thousands of farmers of the State who are looking for bug and insect 
destroyers, such as the pheasant and partridge are known to be. I also 
think after the reader has gone through this pamphlet, he will agree 
with me that the reports thus far are very gratifying and flattering. 

These letters should be a sufficient and vigorous condemnation of 
the reckless assertions being heralded broadcast by the so called ' ' Demo- 
cratic Press Bureau, ' ' whose reputed author was chief clerk of the Forty- 
sixth General Assembly, and who seems to be under the impression that 
his paramount and sole duty to his State and party is to write false and 
misleading articles, and have them reproduced by as many of the partisan 



11 

country newspapers as possible, though many refuse to handle them. 
In order that the readers of this pamphlet may judge and see for them- 
selves the truthfulnes of some of these statements, I herein reproduce 
two of the articles referred to, and following them I offer as evidence 
some 200 letters, which speak for themselves ; the first of which is from 
the Honorable W. E. McCully, one of the best known citizens of North 
Missouri, who refers to these "canned" newspaper articles, and follow- 
ing this letter of August 3rd, I wrote and asked for his permission to 
use this letter in this report, and the second letter is his reply in answer 
to my communication. 

Jesse A. Tolerton, 
State Game and Fish Commissioner. 



Democratic Press Bureau Canned Articles. 

"Jesse Tolerton told the citizens at Mexico last week that English pheasants 
wouldn't do well in Audrain. And if Jesse would only stick to the truth, he would 
say the same thing of every county in the State. It was an open winter and a 
dry spring, but who has seen one of the pheasants. Tolerton had the State of Mis- 
souri pay thousands upon thousands of dollars for." 

Another False and Misleading Article Sent Broadcast Over this State. 

"It is estimated that each one of Tolerton's English pheasants alive in the 
woods of Missouri today cost the State $7,624.18. So few of them came through 
the winter that this cost price is probably too low. The fact is that the most 
stupendous waste known to the history of Missouri is found in the riotous extrava- 
gance of the Game Warden Department. The Legislature sought to stop this 
reckless squandering of the people's money and refused to appropriate funds for 
Tolerton to handle, but the Supreme Court, made up- in part of appointees of 
Governor Hadley and men whose election are being contested, stepped in last week 
and appropriated $90,000 for Tolerton to blow in, and the giddy dance of extrava- 
gance will go on. 

Macon, M6., August 3, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

My Dear Sir — See clipping enclosed. A statement of this kind, is so mani- 
festly unjust, or portrays such ignorance, as to not pass without notice. If the 
writer of that article will come to Macon, I will show him more than 100 of the 
nicest young pheasants he ever saw (provided he ever saw one), and we give 
them nothing more than good cover, with plenty of food, and protection from "pot 
bunters." 

I am sure we have more than 100 of these birds, as we have 18 old birds, and 
have not seen but three of my "old hens" with the three flocks, containing the. young 
birds mentioned. 

The writers democracy is unquestioned, as he has always "helped, aided and 
assisted in the support, giving my time and substance to that ticket, but have no 
patience with demagogery." 



12 

I shall publish a letter similar to this one in our local papers. With regard? 
and best wishes for the successful propagation of these birds throughout Missouri. 
I am 

Sincerely yours, 

Wm. E. McCULLY. 

Don't know who the "Dem. Pub. Bureau" are, but so far as our case is 
concerned, their knowledge is sadly at fault. — Mc. 



Macon, Mo., September 10, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Replying to yours 8th inst, will say you are at perfect liberty 
to publish anything I write you, save when I make the exception, for I fear 
neither my utterance or signature. 

I think the drouth past few months has scattered my flocks somewhat. 
but also think, if so, they will come back to their breeding grounds, as we 
have plenty of rain and feed. 

I saw one flock of 32 birds yesterday, and they are line ones — young ones 
seem larger than the old ones — and are not unduly wild, as I sat in my buggy 
and counted them several times, and not over fifty yards. 

It takes a bit of care to rear them, but not a bit more (if as much) than 
would a flock of "common chicks," and we are very proud of them. 

Sincerely yours, 

WM. E. McCULLY. 



St. Clair, Mo., October 1, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your request for information concerning the birds you sent 
me to liberate received. 

I received from you during the spring of 1910 a pair of your pheasants. 
I made a nice pen for these birds, and during the summer of that year the 
hen laid 25 eggs, from which she hatched 18 chicks. I left the chicks in the 
pen with the mother until they were two days old, when I noticed that the 
male bird was killing the young ones that morning. He killed three of the 
birds before I could get them out of the pen. I then kept them in a brooder 
until they were three weeks old. I would leave them out in the sun every 
day, and when they were three weeks old they all flew away on their own 
accord. During June, I saw two of the hens with about 18 or 20 young ones. 
I have also seen four or live male birds going through the woods. This spring 
I was confident that the birds were well able to take care of themselves, so 
I liberated the first pair I had. 

Last fall I received five pairs of the Hungarian partridges, which I liberated 
at once. All during the fall the birds would fly out of the woods into my 
wheat fields at about three o'clock every afternoon and would feed there until 
it would get dark. The winter of 1910 was so very hard that I scattered quite 
a lot of grain through the woods where I could see the birds had been, as I 
was a little afraid they would not find enough to eat. This summer I have 
seen two of the female birds with about 15 young ones, and one of my neigh- 
bors tell me that one of the hens is on his place with a large bunch of young 
ones. I can only locate three pair of the birds now, but these three pair have 



13 

at least 30 or 40 young ones. I do not think they are at all bad to migrate, 
as two of the hens are roosting with their young about 200 feet from where 
I liberated them. I am sure that these birds will do fine in this country. 
They have certainly taken excellent care of themselves so far. 

Thanking you for these birds and trusting they are meeting with as good 
success in other parts of Missouri as they are at my place, I remain, 

Yours very truly, 

W. E. MAY. 



Slater, Mo., September 9, ign. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — I have delayed answering your circular letter which was re- 
ceived several days ago for the reason I wished to get more definite informa- 
tion in reference to the birds you shipped here. 

I received about one dozen of the Hungarian partridges and kept them 
in captivity until the bad weather was over, and then liberated them. They 
were seen several times after they were liberated, and one pair of them was 
seen with some young birds. We have not seen any of them lately, for the 
reason the brush and grass, where we think they are, is very thick, and they 
can easily hide. I have every reason to believe they are all right, and will do 
well. Mr. Mead, a friend of mine here, also received a box of these birds, and 
they have been seen several times near where they were liberated, and one 
pair of them was also seen with some young birds. I shall write you fully 
about this matter a little later, when the leaves have fallen and the grass is dead, 
so that we can find them. 

The few pheasants you sent were kept in captivity, and I got more than 
one hundred eggs from three birds — raised some forty or fifty young birds, 
and have placed nearly all of them in the country with farmers who will see 
that they are protected. 

My opinion is that the partridge's will be a success in this part of the 
country, but am not prepared to say just what luck we are going to have with 
the pheasants when they are liberated. Will gladly furnish you any informa- 
tion I can at any time, and hope you will continue to stock the country with 
these game birds. 

Yours truly, 

COM. P, STORTS. 



SlKESTON, MO., AugUSt 24, I9II. 

Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — You sent me, the latter part of February this year, four pair Hun- 
garian partridges that I turned out on my farm, and I am glad to say they have 
done splendidly. We have seen three bunches of young partridges and they seem 
to be adapted to this country, and I feel they are the bird for this section. You 
sent to me three pair pheasants within the last sixty days, which / also liberated 
on my farm, and at this time we see them occasionally, and they are growing nicely 
and seem to be doing well, but in this immediate section I fear they will be less 
able to take care of themselves than the partridges. The pheasants migrate and 
have a wide range. 

From what I see of the partridges and the pheasants I am inclined to think 



14 

the partridges are more suitable for this county than pheasants, as they are more 
able to protect themselves from hawks. I will report from time to time on the 
birds I have and will protect them in every way possible. I am, 

Yours truly, 

GREEN B. GREER. 



Ozark, Mo., August 22, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Replying to your letter of recent date, enquiring about pheasants 
sent me last spring. 

/ notice one hen and cock with -five or six young about my feed lot, and hear 
the cocks crowing from the other, but have never seen any young ones, as the 
weeds are very tall and thick where they range. George Wills, my brother, who 
lives north of me, says he seen a hen with twelve or fifteen young — guess they are 
from those you sent him. 

As to what the hawks may do, I am of the opinion they will be hard on the 
hen and young birds. I noticed a "hank" following some a few days ago, but did 
not see it catch any or see any feathers. 

Your letter was misplaced, therefo're cannot answer other question because do 
not remember what you ask. 

I think it would be a good idea to offer a small bounty of say 25c for the 
head of hawks, as they destroy more of our quail than the hunter. 

Yours very truly, 

C. W. WILLS. 



Hopkins, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours of the 22nd received. In answer will say I turned out three 
pair of Hungarian partridges last spring; have seen them a few times since. One 
pair hatched out about one-half mile from where they zvere liberated. There zvere 
twenty chicks in the flock. The other's "I have not heard from. They have plenty 
of feed, shade and water. My neighbors are very much interested in the birds, 
and there is no danger of their being killed. The other question I am unable to 
answer, not having the birds long enough. 

I would like to get some more and try to keep in a pen and have them tame 
before being out. 

Yours truly, 

J. L. HEPBURN. 



Queen City, Mo., September 8, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — The pheasants you sent me wintered all right last winter without 
being fed, as they had corn fields all around their timber home. We have twenty- 
five on the place, as near as can tell, and I think they will take care of themselves 
as well as the quail will. Would like very much to have some for the Marion 
county farm, where conditions could not be better any place than there. Thanking 
you for these birds, 

I am yours, 

W. A. RINEHART. 



15 

Lee's Summit, Mo., R. 6, September 9, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours of recent date received and contents noted with care. In 
regard to pheasants would say, we have two broods of young, one of nine and 
one of thirteen. They are growing much wilder in habits. 

They were very tame at first, but now they seek cover in hedges or brush 
thickets. Would be glad if you would send the Hungarian quail as soon as con- 
venient. 

We have never heard of a pheasant being found dead or being killed. Every 
one seems anxious to get them started here. 

Frazier is anxious to know if there is a bounty on wolf scalps, as he killed' 
five last spring. Got the county money all O. K., and wants the State money if 
there is anything due. Please advise us as to what course we should take to col- 
lect same. Thanking you for past favors, I remain, 

Yours respectfully, 

P. S. ALEXANDER. 



Ava, Mo., August 21, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear. Sir — I write to inform you that I have turned loose all my pheasants, 
old and young, and to report what success I had. First I beg to inform you that I 
have at least three coveys of Hungarian partridges of from fifteen to twenty in. 
a covey. They are hard to find and just accidentally see them once and awhile. 
Think I must have at least sixty young ones — a pretty good start for next year. 
I have a good deal of faith in them. Now, with reference to pheasants, I do not 
think they are so extremely hard to raise if a person will follow instructions and 
use common sense. They are just about like a young turkey. It may be that I 
am a little "puffed up" because I was so successful. My hen hatched out fourteen 
young ones and I raised every one of them, and if one was ever sick I never 
noticed it. I was very particular in feeding. I hardly ever missed a day that 
they didn't get a feed of raw meat cut fine or maggots of some kind and other 
Worms, and about every second or third day I fed them hard boiled eggs, put 
through a colander and mixed with corn meal, or bread crumbs, lots of fine sand 
and a liberal sprinkling of cayenne pepper, all mixed thoroughly. After they were 
about a week old I fed them what green grass and weeds and leaves they would 
eat. I soon learned what they liked, such as lettuce, radish tops, turnip tops, bean 
leaves, mustard tops, etc. In six or seven weeks they were as large, if not larger, 
than the ones you sent to Mr. Hudson, Ava, Mo., some time in July. However, Mr. 
H. S. Wilson did not have such good luck. His hen hatched out nineteen, but the 
Only raised twelve or fourteen, and a number of them are badly crippled. I set 
twenty-four eggs under a turkey out on the fartherest farm, but she only hatched 
out fifteen. She broke the balance of the eggs. I think turkeys a little heavy, un- 
less you get a small one. How many she has is hard to tell, for the young ones 
are so hard to see. Another thing I noticed, that after the first of July the eggs 
did not hatch so well. I gave out two hatchings of eggs. The parties only got 
one or two young ones. The same was true with Mr. Wilson's pheasants. He 
gave out three or four hatchings of eggs, but only got one or two young to the 
hatching. Mr. Wilson gave me his pheasants, and two weeks ago I turned them 
all loose — young and old. The young ones given me by Mr. Wilson had only 
about a half dozen birds, but what were so badly crippled they will hardly be able 
to get around to find a living. His young ones had what you call "cramps," 



16 

caused from indigestion, and some of them had their feet and legs so badly- 
twisted that they could hardly walk at all, while others had grown so little that 
they were not more than half the size of the healthier ones. I turned my young 
ones in a bunch by themselves and Mr. Wilson's by themselves. The old ones I 
turned loose in two different bunches — a cock and two hens in each. They are 
all seen once and awhile, and are getting along nicely. However, I had bad luck 
with the trio Mr. Wilson gave me. The second morning after turning thera 
loose the cockerel came up to the house and eat a little with the chickens, but the 
man on the place noticed he was not just right, so got him in the barn and caught 
him and found that he was badly hurt by some varmin or owl. He kept him ia 
the barn that day, but the next morning he was dead. So that leaves the two hens 
-without a rooster. Is it possible for you to send me an extra cockerel right away. 
I will be under great obligations to you if you can spare me one. Now, as to 
next years' consignment that you spoke of in one of your recent letters. I will 
"be under great obligations if you will put my name in for a trio, or what you 
•can spare. What success is being met with in other parts of the State, and more 
especially the Ozarks. Say, Jesse, do you ever send out any of those Chinese 
golden pheasants on anything like the same conditions as the English Ring Neck 
pheasants. If so, I like very much if you will put "my name in the pot" for 
-whatever kind of an assignment you think proper, and I will be under still further 
obligations to you. I believe I can raise some of them too if not much harder to 
raise than the ring necked. I am going to move to the nearest farm and look 
after everything personally, and will be in shape to raise them. Am building a 
nice fish pond. Can you give me any information? Does the State furnish any 
young fish to stock ponds? If so, what kind. I can get almost any kind from the 
government at Neosho, Mo. Would be glad for any information along this line. 

Respectfully, 

BEN J. SMITH. 



LaTour, Mo., August 26, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your letter of inquiry in regard to Hungarian partridges shipped 
to me last spring received. I liberated the birds around the orchard and barn lots 
where there was plenty of feed and water. It was not. necessary to give them any 
special attention. I have seen some of them around occasionally all summer. 
Recently I have noticed three groups of young on my premises, averaging about 
fifteen each. 

So far as I know there are no young on my neighbor's premises. I do not 
know of any being disturbed by hawks, owls and other vermin. 

I shall be glad to give you any further information in my possession, and 
hope you will find this satisfactory. 

Respectfully yours, 

I. G. FARNSWORTH. 



California, Mo., August 30, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir— I received your letter asking me for report on the pheasants 
shipped into this county. I have asked some of the recipients of the birds for 
areport, but so far have not been favored with a reply. So far as I personally 



17 

know there are fifteen young pheasants near Jamestown, well grown and able to 
take care of themselves. They are still in care of a couple of old birds. No 
winter feeding has been done there. There are five young pheasants in the Moni- 
teau hills, south of the Moniteau creek, that we know of, and they seem to be 
doing well. No winter feeding done there except occasionally. But we really 
never learned that the birds got it. 

Out of another shipment which was liberated near this town, only one bird, a 
cock, has been seen for the last eight or nine months. The bird is full grown, 
very nice looking and seems to take his home with the chickens or near the 
chicken yard of a certain farmer. I liberated the last shipment of birds in that 
very neighborhood. The birds above mentioned seem to remain in the neighbor- 
hood of the place where they have been liberated and can be approached on horse- 
back within fifty feet. The birds I liberated a few weeks ago near this town are 
staying close to the place where I gave them their freedom, and make their home 
in a cornfield. The neighbors see them quite often, and the farmers in that 
vicinity are proud of the birds, and will protect them. I make it a point to interest 
every farmer in pheasants, and I know that further shipments of the birds would 
be well taken care of in this county. I want to make the raising of pheasants a 
success, and ask you to kindly assist me in my efforts. Wishing you success, I am 

Yours truly, 

CHAS. C. TREIBER, 
Circuit Clerk. 



Smithville, Mo., August 25, 191 1". 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Replying to your favor of August 18, with reference to the Hun- 
garian partridges sent me last spring, wish to advise you that these birds have 
done exceptionally well with the exception of one pair, whose mate we found jn 
the pasture, and it must have been killed by a fox. The other bird has been seen 
several times by different farmers. Otherwise they have done fine, as I have two 
large bunches that I know as they use pretty near altogether around the house 
and feed lot. They seem to be very gentle and will only rise and fly a few feet 
away. Mr. Jas. Croger, one of our neighbors to my father's farm, also has a 
bunch of twenty-seven of these birds, and he says he feeds them every day and 
that he never seen birds as gentle and tame as these are, and do not believe they 
are a bird to migrate over any large scope of territory. However, it would be 
difficult to say what these birds will do until the migrating season. However, 
again with plenty of shelter, water and feed, I have every hope of being able to 
keep them. I expect to protect them from all hunters for at least three seasons, 
and then I would like to trap some of them for propagation purposes. Kindly 
advise me on this subject. 

Should you have any of the Chinese Ring Neck or English pheasants, I would 
like three or four pair of these birds and I assure you I will take the same care 
of these birds that I have of the Hungarian partridge. 

Hoping that what I have said will be of some service, and any assistance that 
I may lend toward the frugality of these birds I assure you will be at your com- 
mand. 

Again thanking you for the birds already sent me, I beg to remain 

Yours very truly, 

R. L. PATTERSON. 

No. 1 — 2 



18 

Hale, Mo., August 21, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to the within I received six pheasants in the fall of 1910, 
liberated them on my farm; think they need very little care; they take care of 
themselves alright. The farmers all want them. They feed after the stock in 
winter and roam the stubble fields in summer. I think they will take care of 
themselves alright. They roam over about one section of land. I have seen no 
young ones yet. They divided in pairs, each pair going their way. We certainly 
have a good place for them, timber land, creeks, plenty of springs. Will do all I 
can to protect them. Wish you could send me some quail. 

J. FRENCH. 

Reference : J. B. Hale, Representative from Carroll county. 



Greenfield, Mo., September 12, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your circular letter of recent date to Mr. James P. Wheeler of 
Greenfield, Missouri, has been turned over to me for answer. 

Mr. Wheeler desires me to inform you that the birds which he got have 
been seen recently and seem to be doing all right, but he has seen no young 
ones. However, he thinks they undoubtedly have young ones. He has only 
seen one of them at a time, and that probably accounts for not seeing the 
chicks. 

I have just heard from the birds which I raised mj^self last year, and 
turned over to Mr. Charley White of Crisp, Missouri. One pair of them has 
been seen with a large flock of chicks, and another has been seen, but if it has 
a mate, the mate has not been seen with it. 

I am also pleased to state that the birds that were turned over to Mr. 
Albert Cox of South Greenfield, Missouri, are doing well, and are raising 
young ones. 

I would like very much indeed to have some more young birds sent to 
me, because this is a wooded, hilly country, with plenty of streams and springs 
in it, and in my opinion, if there is any county in the State where these birds 
will properly propagate, I think it is Dade. I know exactly where to turn them 
loose, and I think we will get good results without question. 

Kindly let me know as to whether or not you can furnish me more young 
birds to liberate this year. 

Yours truly, 

C. F. NEWMAN. 



Bethany, Mo., September 22, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your letter of late date, making inquiry about how the Hun- 
garian partridges had done, to hand. In reply, will say I have one bunch of 
young ones of about 20, and I am sure the rest of the old ones are still on 
the farm, but am pretty certain they have no young. Three of the old birds 
are with the bunch of young ones all the time, and five of the old ones seem 
to stay in together of late. Of course, there might be more than one nesting 
of the young birds, but they all seem to be of the same size. I have a very 
fine place for these birds, and I am positive the old ones are all on the ground 



19 

3'et. I don't see any reason why these birds did not raise more young, imless 
it was too late in the season when they were turned out. In regard to their 
migrating, the season of year might have something to do with that. The" 
birds I have seem to like their home fine, and you can see them most any 
time. They are very pretty, and don't seem to be so very wild. Any further 
information you would like I would be pleased to give it to you. 

Yours very truly, 

JOHN S. SLATTEN. 



Sedalia, Mo., September 19, igu', 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Replying to your letter (circular) asking my experience witli 
pheasants and Hungarian partridges, received from your department, through 
Mr. Jas. T. Montgomery, Sedalia, Missouri, in the outset I will say that f 
applied to you through Mr. Montgomery for some Hungarian partridges, but 
have never received any, therefore, I can say nothing as to that bird. 

However, as to the pheasants, will say during the year 1910 I raised tens 
hens and eight cocks. These young birds were mothered by chicken hens 
until they were weaned, and then began shifting for themselves; they remained 
in my orchard and feed lot and pasture, feeding with the cattle and hogs, dur- 
ing the winter of 1910-11, and passed that winter safely. 

They seem to be amply able to take care of themselves, both as to feeding, 
against hawks and owls and other vermin. 

I had ten hens out and have frequently seen nine of them on my place. 
These nine birds have hatched out this summer each a brood of young birds 

Two hens and one cock have fifteen young birds; another hen and cock 
have seven young birds ; another hen has eight young birds ; another hen and 
cock five young birds; another hen and cock, four young birds; two hens and 
cock, eleven young birds; one hen, three young birds. 

You see out of the ten hens I have seen nine with young birds. I am 
satisfied the other hen has birds on the place. T am also satisfied that there 
are more birds than the above estimate. I am certain that I have fifty-three 
young birds, as I have counted them many times. 

They seem perfectly contented and at home on my farm, and do not care- 
to migrate. 

By my experience so far, I am satisfied that if I can keep the hunters away 
from my birds 'for a year or two, they will multiply sufficiently to stock Pettis 
county. 

Mr. Jas. T. Montgomery has eight or ten pheasants with Mrs. J. D. Craw- 
ford, some two miles and a half from my place, and I am informed that these 
birds have done as well as mine. 

I would like very much to have some Hungarian partridges, and believe' 
that I can raise them equally as well as the pheasants. 

I will call on you at the State Fair, and hope you will be able to furnish' 
me with a pair or two. 

Very truly yours, 

C. W: WIN GATE. 



20 

Knox City, Mo., September n, ign. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your letter received in regard to pheasants. We did not see 
any of the birds during the winter season on our own place. We have fed 
hogs and cattle the year round. Have had rail pens with corn in them, and 
the birds need not suffer for feed. There has been one pair of pheasants on 
Ithe farm this summer that we know of. About six weeks ago we saw the 
female with eight birds, large enough to fly. I have not seen them since then. 
Mr. Simpson, living ioo yards east of my farm, said there "was a pair at his 
place this season; that birds were tame, but he saw no young. A male bird took 
up with the chickens of Mr. Johnston last fall; he is another neighbor living 
on the east side of my farm. It fed with his chickens and hogs all winter. 
A female pheasant came to his place this spring and the pair remained there 
this spring, but when I last saw Mr. Johnston, he had seen no young birds.. 

Other neighbors reported pheasants coming to their place last summer, 
but they did not remain with them long. Sorry I cannot report more favora- 
bly. I have i,ooo acres for them to run over and allow no hunting. It seems 
that fewer prairie chickens hatched this season than usual. 

We thank you for your kindness in sending us the pheasants and appre- 
ciate them very much. Any time you may wish to send Hungarian part- 
ridges we will be pleased to liberate them on our farm. 

Yours truly, 

D. CLARK THOMAS. 



MARION COUNTY, AN IDEAL HOME FOR GAME BIRDS SENT OUT 

BY WARDEN. 

(Courier-Post Special Service.) 

Reliable reports on the condition of the Hungarian partridges and the 
English ring-neck pheasants sent to Marion county during the winter of 
1910^11 by the generous action of State Game Commissioner Tolerton, are 
hard to obtain for several reasons. 

Comparatively few of the. birds were seen during the spring nesting 
season because of the fact that their natural shyness was augmented by their 
introduction into a strange land. 

The Hungarians are foreigners, imported direct from their native Eu- 
ropean mountains and liberated in a country where the cover, feed and 
grounds are different from their old haunts. 

To the experienced eye, the Hungarian, seen at a distance or perhaps 
only casually observed, would be mistaken for bob-white, his cousin, and no 
report would be made. 

Marion county was treated very kindly in the distribution of the birds. 
Due to Representative Frank Sosey's work and to the splendid showing of 
license money collected, some 200 Hungarian partridges were consigned to 
our farmers last March. No cold weather of long duration came after the birds 
were liberated. Food was found in the wheat fields and around the feed lots. 

During April nearly every farmer who had birds reported having seen 
-either a pair or often the eight birds he had received from the Game Com- 
missioner. In some cases they had migrated to a neighboring farmer's field 
where food or cover or water was more to their liking. 



21 



Many Birds Seen. 

In May the weeds grew up. Here and there a pair of birds would be 
seen dusting in the road. In three instances farmers reported seeing their 
original covey of eight. Four pair were seen by The Courier-Post correspond- 
ent in widely separated portions of Marion county, who got close enough to 
identify them. At this time the birds were tame and would only fly to the 
nearest cover. 

Have these birds reared a covey? That is the important question to 
sportsmen. Farmers generally believe that a great many coveys have been 
reared. 

Arch Redd, one mile west of Palmyra, saw two different coveys contain- 
ing sixteen birds, both on his farm this month. Walter Summers has a covey 
of about seventeen birds. Louis Frazer, county collector, has two good 
coveys on his place near Withers Mill. W. J. Gash has a covey of eight full- 
grown birds on his farm south of Palmyra. The Courier-Post correspondent 
worked his pointer on these birds August 23. The dog caught the scent and 
held the Hungarians until they were flushed. In two instances they flushed 
wild, but each time within gunshot. But they did not lay as close as Bob 
White. Not until the hunters fare forth in November can a full report, of 
anything like an accurate forecast on the number of birds be made. 

The Hungarians are protected by law. Their flight, a great deal like s 
prairie chicken. Their large appearance in the air and the spread of red tail 
feathers also distinguish them from Bob White, and no sportsman can excuse 
the killing of one nor truthfully claim he believed he was shooting at a quail. 

The Hungarian is a robust bird. No one acquainted with him doubts 
but what he will survive any weather that a quail can stand. 

The Ring-Neck Pheasant. 

The Ring-neck pheasant still remains much more of an experiments 
Fewer of these birds were liberated. Fewer of them have been seen since 
they left the shipping coops. There are several reasons for this. The birds 
were freed in the summer of 1910 — young, immature birds hatched at the 
State hatchery, and consequently had the winter of 1910-11 to face. 

A larger, more gaudy bird than the Hungarian and bearing the fatal gift 
of a long beautiful tail, fine for freezing in the snow, and holding its luckless 
possessor like a trap, for the prowling fox. The pheasant, a bird of the thicket 
and dense timber by choice, had to find his living in a cleared and cultivated 
country. His plumage marks him out in cover where a Hungarian would be 
unobserved. 

Palmyra sportsmen have heard of only one covey of pheasants, that 
one of about twenty, reared on the George Thurwachter farm. Two neighbors 
saw these birds July 20, and say they were then not as large as a quail, and 1 
that they swam across a shallow slough to escape. It is possible that the birds 
simply fluttered across the shallow water. 

In some cases, the cocks and hens became separated and the lonely bird 
took up with the barnyard fowls.. Charles Ensminger has "Billy," a cock 
pheasant, that lives in the barn yard and whips every rooster on the farm. 
Charles Arnold has a solitary hen. Hastings Bros., have two hens without a 
male bird. 

Our sportsmen hope they will find coveys of the beautiful pheasants 
that have reared in Marion county. Farmers are greatly interested in both 



22 

Hungarians and pheasants and will protect them. Some say they intend to 
prohibit all shooting until the new birds have become accustomed to their 
farms. 

Marion county, with hills and thickets and many streams, is an ideal 
"home for game birds... 

Palmyra, Mo., August 26, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

This report has reached some 7,000 families in Northeast Missouri, and 
I hope will help along the good work. Two parties reported Hungarians to 
me that I did not know of when I wrote the story. 

Mrs. Kennett Spencer, St. Louis (who knows the birds), saw ten north 
of Palmyra yesterday. A flock of young birds were in town last week. Louis 
Frazier says he saw twelve to fifteen south of Palmyra recently. 

We are forwarding a petition, asking Governor Hadley to come to our 
fair October 4-7. Won't it be possible for you to come at the same time and 
speak on game birds and their protection and propagation. I'll see that you 
are urgently invited, and a visit from you would be greatly appreciated by 
your sportsmen friends. 

Faithfully, 

WM. NICHOLS. 



Frederick-town, Mo., August 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letters sent out about the pheasants and Hungari- 
an quail, will say that I know where two pair of the pheasants are out of the six 
"birds that you sent me. One pair is in the same woods pasture that I turned them 
vut in, on my farm, and the hen lias seven young ones, nozv almost grown, and the 
iPthcr pair is about four miles west from there, and I do not know whether they 
liaye ever hatched any young ones or not. They do not seem to wander around 
imuch. Out of the bunch you sent Judge Brown, there is one pair within one 
■mile of where he turned them out, and they have nine young ones. 

Nozv, as to the partridges, I have one pair on the farm where I turned them 
&ut, and there are about twenty young ones with them and seem to be doing fine. 
There was another pair about one mile azvay early in the spring, but I do not 
know whether they have ever hatched any young ones or not. / never fed them 
anything last zvinter, as I never could find them; went to look for them zvhen the 
snozv zvas on the ground, but could only find the tracks. I am satisfied that they\ 
£.11 zveut through last winter all right. When the snow would stay on too long 
they might starve. The pheasants seem to be extraordinarily wild, as they seem 
to be always in cover and will not lie to a dog, as I tried with my bird dog, and 
when she stopped them they would always be in the brush and would run off when 
you come up, not fly away as a quail does. They seem to get along about as well 
as our Bob White does. Have you any printed signs to put up notifying parties 
jiot to hunt in here, as there are pheasants and Hungarian quail, and it is against 
the State law to kill them. If you have and will send me some I will post my 
farm and the adjoining ones with them. 

Hoping this is satisfactory to your questions, 

» Am truly yours, 

FELIX J. PARKIN. 



23 

Milan, Mo., August 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In response to yours of the recent date will say that I received 
a consignment of ten birds, Hungarian partridges, about the latter part of De- 
cember, 1910, or in January, 191 1, and released the birds on my farm near a feed 
lot in which I was feeding cattle and hogs grain. The birds remained in this 
vicinity until the opening of the warm weather, when they wandered to adjoining 
farms. / was informed by a neighbor that he had run on to one of the mother 
birds with a large bunch of little ones, a Iiatch, in which he guessed that there 
■were twenty or more young birds. 

The partridge seems to be very alert, and I believe will stand the winters and 
are better prepared to care for themselves than the common quail as to the ravages 
of haivks and owls. 

The birds have an unlimited range in the vicinity in which my birds were 
released, as the farms are large and I believe the original ten birds are in the 
vicinity in which they were released, but I only know of the one hatch above 
mentioned. These are the only birds I know of released in that vicinity, and as the 
Tange is large and the birds are of a wild nature, we have only seen them a few 
times this summer, and then at long rartge, as they do not allow any one to get 
near them. 

The people of the neighborhood are proud to know they have this bunch of 
birds, and we have no trouble in protecting them. 

Yours truly, 

CHAS. W. REEVES. 



Fayetteville, Mo., September 5, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Replying to your favor of the 22nd, will say that the pheasants 
you sent to me last year are doing well, and I think are equally as capable of taking 
■care of themselves as the quail. 

I luive three broods of young ones, which were hatched on my farm, and they 
never stray further away than adjoining farms. I didn't feed them last winter 
for I didn't think it necessary. I have a beautiful male bird that can be seen 
about the farm any day. When you haave some to spare, would be glad to have 
a few more. 

Yours very truly, 

JOHN W. POLLOCK. 



Vandalia, Mo., September 4, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I received six pheasants in August, 1910, and six in November. 
They scattered out over two or three miles and were seen at rare intervals. 

Of the first lot I don't know that they were ever seen again after being freed. 
But of the others I am certain all were alive in June. 

One cock stays almost constantly with chickens on a farm 2^2 miles distant, and 
-one hen stays near to there and had a nest, but do not know whether she has 
raised any young. One cock and two hens were frequently seen on the edge of 
timber in early summer. And one hen was seen last part of June on my place 
with flock of young — has not been seen since. Another hen on place seems to 
have been lost from other birds, and has not been seen for a long time. 



24 

Another cock, probably one sent to Mr. J. H. Wright of Vandalia, stays with 
chickens on a farm a mile from Mr. Wright's. 

Only a few days ago I heard of four seen ten miles southeast of here, be- 
tween Gazette and Marling. 

We may see more of the birds in early winter after frost has killed the weeds, 

We have thirty or forty prairie chickens on the farm. I have seem them but 
once in two months. 

If I learn of young birds I will write to you again. 

Respectfully, 

WALTER S. BOYD. 



Louisiana, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Referring to the pheasants that were sent here, the writer has 
called up Mr. Pete Dudley, who had the most of these, and find that from those 
shipped here, he hatched out fourteen, that he gave them no special feeding last 
year during the winter season, and that they do not migrate. They are not what 
would be termed a perfectly wild bird, because they come up around the barn- 
yards, but at the same time they do not stay with the chickens to an extent that 
they could be called tame. 

The writer believes from what he can learn that these birds will multiply if 
the game laws can be enforced, where there is undergrowth to protect them. 
Will investigate further and report. 

Yours truly, 

FRANK W. BUFFUM. 



Sedalia, Mo., September 8, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your circular received, and in answer to same will say that all the 
birds received by me were placed on farms around here with the exception of one 
pair of Chinese pheasants, which were sent to the State Asylum at Nevada. 

Mr. Nolan, the man then in charge of the hennery there, reports about sixty 
eggs set, but haven't heard how many birds hatched or raised. There are two 
pair though, that were turned out on the farm there last year that have been seen 
with young. 

Wishing you continued success, I am 

Sincerely, 

H. W. MEUSCHKE. 



Kansas City, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — You wrote Mullins a while back in regard to their pheasants. 
Would say that we have four separate bunches as a result of the old birds which 
you sent. 

I am a little bit afraid down there in that part of the country they will kill 
them this season. It seems to me it would be a good idea to put up some posters 
in such neighborhoods until the pheasants get started. 

Hoping to hear from you at your earliest convenience, I am 

Very truly yours, 

W. F. COEN. 



25 

Queen City, Mo., September 8, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — The pheasants you sent me wintered all right last winter without 
being fed, as they had corn fields all around their timber home. We have 25 on the 
place, as near as I can tell, and I think they will take care of themselves as well as 
the quail will. 

Would like very much to have some for the Marion county farm, where con- 
ditions could not be better any place than there. Thanking you for these birds, 

I am yours, 

W. A. RINEHART. 



Platte City, Mo., August 28, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Your letter of inquiry at hand. In reply will say / received four pair of Hun- 
garian partridges early last spring. They arrived when we had quite a snow on 
the ground, and as I had to keep them in their box and feed them for two weeks 
before liberating them. After that time they seemed perfectly able to take care of 
themselves. Have not seen any young ones yet, although have found four nests 
at different times. A neighbor broke up two nests in cutting his first crop of 
alfalfa. He found one nest after that with fifteen eggs and the old bird setting. 
/ found one setting on nine eggs, but think the dogs broke her up about the time 
for her to hatch. Saw a pair a few days ago, but did not see any young. I do 
not think they are bad to migrate, as we see some of them quite often. This 
has been a bad season for them to raise broods, as it has been too dry for them 
to get water. There is a small crop of Bob White's on that account. See lots of 
pairs without any young. My tobacco man says he saw a pair with some young 
ones a few days ago, but could not tell how many. They were small, having been 
hatched from the second laying after they were broken up. From what I have 
seen of them am satisfied they are adapted to this country, and will do as well as 
the Bob Whites. 

* Respectfully, 

JOHN SKILLMAN. 



Sedalia, Mo., September 8, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your inquiry in regard to birds at hand. 

I received last winter a shipment of Hungarian partridges, and they seemed to 
accommodate themselves to conditions at once. I fed them during the severe 
weather, but I think they are able to take care of themselves equally as well as our 
Bob White. I think if conditions are right as to cover and water, that they are not 
bad to migrate, but they will certainly hunt a satisfactory location, even if they 
have to go some distance to find it. 

Yes, they hatched young and in large coveys, but I would not undertake to 
say how many, as I did not care to disturb them. They are not wild, and my im- 
pression is that they are a success, and will be a decided acquisition. 

I also received a shipment of pheasants this summer. 

They came during the extremely hot weather, and two of them were dead 
when they arrived. 



26 

I liberated them, two cocks and two hens, in the evening near water and a 
fine cover with plenty of feed. 

We only see them occasionally, so I am not able to give you any definite 
information. 

However, I am continually on the lookout for them and will forward any 
information I secure. 

Yours truly, 

FRED T. MUNSON. 



Monroe City, Mo., August 25, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your inquiry about birds sent me, would say the kind 
sent was Hungarian quail. There were several lots of Hungarian quail liberated 
on my farm and farms adjacent, hence cannot give any specific information to the 
ones I received, but will answer your questions in a general way as far as I can. 
1st. It was not necessary to feed the birds, as we received them in the spring. 
2nd. I have seen several places where one had been eaten, think it was hawks. 
3rd. / have one covey of young, thirteen, in all now; also, one pair setting yet. 
There are two or three coveys of young on farms adjacent mine, and one brood 
of pheasants, nine in all, liberated by Hon. W. B. Fahy. I believe they will make 
good if looked after a little in extreme cold or snowy weather. I think, as near 
as I can tell, there are two pair of old birds and thirteen young ones on my place. 
I turned out four pair. I believe this is about all the information I have at pres- 
ent. If there is anything I have not answered that you wish to know, write me 
and I will be pleased to answer it if in my power. 

With best wishes for your success in your undertakings in regard to the 
game of the State, as well as your personal welfare, I am 

Yours to command, 

I. L. OWEN, JR. 



Nevada, Mo., September 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your request of recent date regarding the birds sent 
me, will say that I received three shipment of English pheasants. Two of the 
first lot sent me remained around our hennery for several months and then dis- 
appeared and were seen in the woods about a mile from this place. As far as I 
know they have been able to care for themselves ever since. 

The second lot that I turned loose, as well as I could tell, made their home in 
the woods the entire time, within one-half a mile from where they were liberated, 
and have been able to take care of themselves since being turned loose. I am 
satisfied the first lot wintered themselves very well without special attention. 

We have found two bunches of little ones, about -fifteen in each bunch. 
When they were found they were able to fly at least three or four hundred yards. 
I believe where there is plenty of covering and water that these birds will do well 
in their wild state. 

Hoping that this will be satisfactory, I am 

Yours truly, 

J. G. LOVE. 



27 

Ukbana, Mo., August 22, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In answer to yours of recent date in regard to the partridges re- 
ceived from you wish to say, they all done fine and stayed, in orchard up till 
mating time, and one pair remained there. They have thirty-two little ones, and 
the rest went to large pasture close, and it is so grown up with brush and briars 
that we have not been able to locate them, but are satisfied they have done well. 
They seemed to be well contented and real gentle. We fed them during the hard 
weather and in the winter, and they have taken up with a big flock of quail that 
was raised in orchard. I am very proud of them and will do all in my power to 
protect them, and thanking you very kindly for sending them to me I am 

Very truly your friend, 

FRANK DARBY. 
P, S. : — I'll let you know from time to time how they are making it. 



Grain Valley, Mo., August 4, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I note what you say in your recent letter about not sending any 
more pheasants here. I certainly wish to thank you again for being so generous to 
us here. Everyone seems to be delighted that we have so many pheasants, and 
there seems to be about eight flocks within our protected territory. 

If these birds show any desire to stay within a reasonable zone, I am sure 
they ivill be cared for as carefully as our ozvn domestic fowls. A flock of pheas- 
ants, nearly groivn, certainly is a grand sight, and we feel very proud of the 
showing our birds have made this year. 

Two Hocks of Hungarian partridges have been reported, though I only feel 
certain of one, as the two reported were seen rather near the same place. How- 
ever, Mr. Hudson, to whom you sent some of the partridges told me that he had 
seen a flock on his place. You may be sure that it will be greatly appreciated if 
you can send some more of the partridges here for liberation, and I assure you 
they will be carefully guarded and cared for. 

The little pheasants which I am raising have certainly exceeded my expecta- 
tions, only three having died so far. They are almost as large as quail now and 
go everywhere, though they still stay with the old hens. 

Have you any more pheasant eggs which you could send me this year? If 
you have I would be very glad to get them and I will take great pleasure in rais- 
ing them. Very respectfully, 

M. TRUMAN ROWE. 



New Madrid, Mo., August 29, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

The English pheasants which have been sent to this county are alright and 
doing well. They have raised several nice lots of birds this season. They do not 
have to be fed in this county, as there are too many peas in the fields and feed of 
various kinds they can get to eat. 

I am afraid the Hungarian partridges have migrated, as out of the few birds 
which were sent to this county none of them have been seen by any one since 
they were turned loose. 



28 

I think the birds are able to take care of themselves, as we do not have many 
hawks down this way. We kill all the hawks and things like that that prey on 
our birds. 

Yours truly, 

J. L. BANS BURGH, 
County Gerk. 



Columbia, Mo., August 23, 191 1. . 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — I am in receipt of your circular letter inquiring into the welfare of 
the pheasants you were good enough to send me one year ago. I regret very 
much to state that I fear all those birds have perished. The six arrived on the 
25th of July, 1910, during the very intense heat of that summer, with two of their 
number dead. / at once watered them and liberated them in a place abundant with 
small grain and water, but have seen nothing of them since. 

Very sincerely yours, 

HENRY T. LEE. 



St. James, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter seeking information in regard to pheasants and part- 
ridges, will say : The six pheasants I received in 1910, I liberated in my wheat 
field. I found one a few days later dead, and think a hawk killed him. About the 
first of October I saw the other five. I scattered feed all over the place for them 
and they came through all right. Two flocks of young ones have been seen this 
summer within one mile of here. The partridges I liberated on Saturday evening 
and fed them. Stood by and watched them eat their feed; plenty of water near 
by. On Monday my neighbor came over with one shot. He found it in his yard. 
It had flown and fell there. I located the others three days afterwards and 
fed them. Since then I cannot hear of them. / am inclined to think they are 
wanderers. They were liberated in timber four miles east and west, from one to 
two miles wide. Pheasants are all right here, and if let alone will do well, but we 
have men and boys here that hunt in and out of season without license, and shoot 
anything that moves. Hundreds of squirrels were shot all through the month of 
June, and you know what that means to mother squirrels. I reported two men to 
our justice and he stopped them, but it made them mad at me. 

From the setting of eggs you sent, I raised three out of four. They are here 
on the place, and almost grown. I believe this is as plain as I can make my letter, 
and will close by saying there are more quail this season than ever known, and 
will be good hunting this fall. 

Respectfully, 

JOHN KNOX. 



Bolivar, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to yours in regard to how the coop of pheasants you 
shipped me last fall have done I will say: One of the hens was dead when 
the coop got here, and the rest I sent out north of Bolivar,, about eight miles, 



29 

close to the river. I thought it would be an ideal place for them, in which I was 
not mistaken. These birds did not stay on the place they were put on, but drifted 
about a mile north, where the woods and brush were thicker. They were not fed 
during the winter, with the exception of one of the cocks, that stayed close to 
where he was liberated and runs with the chickens. The others I was afraid were 
gone, as no one saw them for several weeks. The cock that was separated evi- 
dently -finally as spring was coming, heard them and went to them, and they have 
done well. As best as we can tell, there were about forty of the young tzvo 
months ago, and they were large and fine. The parties living in that vicinity see 
them often, and while they are wild and they can't get very close to them they 
say they are doing fine. I don't know whether they hatch more than one brood 
or not, but if they do we will have the country alive with them in a few years. 
All the others that were liberated here have done iiw, and I am sure there ara 
better than ioo young in this vicinity. The eggs that you had delievered to me that 
were uncalled for at the express office, failed to hatch. Thanking you for the 
assistance in getting them started here, I beg to remain 

Yours truly 

E. L. SCHOFIELD. 



Bolivar, Mo., September 2, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolexton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I am in receipt of your circular letter a few days ago. I think the 
pheasants we received of you are doing well of the ones sent me. / have track of 
three pair, one of which has more than thirty young ones, another with sixteen and 
another zvith seven, that we are positive of, and think she has hatched another 
brood, but have been unable so far to see the young. 

Yes, I fed these birds during the past winter and will arrange to have them 
led this winter. 

As to the Hungarian partridges sent me, I have not been able to see them for 
a long time; they got through the winter all right, as I fed them regularly. 

I will be glad to further co-operate with you and hold myself in readiness to 
do your commands. ■ 

I am very truly yours, 

BEN F. LEONARD. 



Atlanta, Macon Co., Mo., September 8, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — The pheasants of which you shipped me July 10, and which I lib- 
erated, appear to be doing all right. I see one cockerel and one hen nearly every 
day feeding about the barnyard, and are very tame. I think the others must be all 
right if these are. About four miles from here I have 80 acres of timbered and 
brush land, and this year one pair of native pheasants raised a good litter of 
young ones. These pheasants stay there every year. Please inform me the best 
way to protect these native pheasants. Mr, Chas. Watters owns a farm adjoining 
to this 80 acres, and is desirous of helping me to protect them. // this man had 
the power to make arrest, I think that would give the birds protection. I would 
like to have another shipment of pheasants next year to. turn loose on this 80-acre 
tract, if possible. It is an ideal pheasant wild. 

Respectfully, 

ALBERT HOCKENSMITH. 



30 

Higginsville, Mo., September 4, 1911. 
Dear Sir — Your letter asking for information regarding the pheasants yon 
sent me a year ago came to hand some days ago. I received six, turned them 
loose and saw them frequently and think they got through the winter in good 
shape. But as regards the increase, I can't say anything positively, but some days 
ago a near neighbor told me that he had seen quite a few young ones with two of 
the old ones, but this has been a fearful dry summer, in fact, all the ponds are and 
have been dry quite a while, and I am inclined to think that they have suffered 
for water. Had it not been for the drouth and perhaps straggling hunters, they 
would do well. 

Respectfully, 

HENRY C. POWELL. 



Richland, Mo., August 28, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir- — Your favor received. I received four pair of Hungarian partridges- 
late in the winter of the present year and fed them through the balance of the 
winter. Yes, I think they are fully as able to take care of themselves as the Bob 
White, and would be a little harder for hawks to catch, as they run faster and 
fly swifter than the Bob White. I consider snakes the greatest enemy we have to 
game birds, as they prey on the eggs and young birds. As stated, I received four 
pair of the partridges, and when they were liberated they scattered. / know of 
two pair that have raised from eighteen to twenty birds to the pair. They are very- 
wild. As to their migrating, I cannot say, as I received mine late in the winter.. 
Please book me for one of your pamphlets. If I can be of any service to you 
command me. 

Respectfully, 

S. B. GARDNER. 



DlEHLSTADT, Mo., AllgUSt 24, I9II. 

Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson Citj r , Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Replying to your circular letter about birds sent out last year, am 
pleased to report that I received from you six (6) pheasants in the year 1910, and 
liberated them at once. They remained about the immediate premises for several 
days and then disappeared for some time and scattered over 160 acres, where they 
took care of themselves over winter through com fields. Recently I have seen six 
young ones, about grown. One tenant reports that he has seen one old or original 
rooster and hen bird with ten or twelve young ones; another tenant reports seeing 
a pair with at least fifteen (15) young ones, several times recently in a 40-acrer 
watermelon, field one-half mile from where I liberated them about a year ago. 

From the way I have treated these birds and the gain they have made, I con- 
sider them well adapted to our country and able to care for themselves. Last 
winter season was rather mild in this section and the birds could find enough feed 
in the fields to support themselves. This next winter may be different, however,, 
and I may have to feed a little while. I would like to have a few of the Hun- 
garian partridges if you have any to dispose of this season. 

Thanking you for the interest you have taken in this matter, I remain 

Yours truly, . 

MAX L. OSTNER. 



31 

Linneus, Mo., August 29, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your letter of August 22nd was received. I did receive the 
pheasants you sent me last fall. But before I was able to make arrangements 
for their care on my farm, and while I was keeping them at home in an ordi- 
nary chicken coop, in some manner they made their escape. But they did not 
leave the neighborhood entirely, and two of them were recaptured and given 
to one Phillips, who has them yet. Of the others, reports were had that they 
had been seen in the outskirts of town and in the woods. As they were hardy 
birds, I believe they survived the winter all right, but am very sorry not to 
have gotten them to my farm, which is fifteen miles from here. 

Mr. M. L. Cornctt reports a covey of pheasants from a pair of his which stay 
about his farm, three miles east of here. 

Yours truly, 

A. W. MULLINS. 



Marionville, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter I would say that I have been very suc- 
cessful with the partridges that you shipped me this spring. They are very 
tame birds, and do not migrate, as they are within radius of one-half mile of 
where liberated, my shipment consisted of eight birds, of which two pair have 
succeeded in raising a covey of about ten birds each. 

The birds are very similar to the Bob White in their wild state, and have 
succeeded the dry weather, as I have a running stream through my place. 

And I will say that if you have any of the birds on hand that you would 
like to dispose of, I would gladly help place them, as I have the only birds in 
my immediate neighborhood. 

Trusting this information meets with your approval, I remain, 

Yours respectfully, 

E. G. ASHCROFT. 



Ozark, Mo., August 26, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Replying to your circular letter of recent date, seeking informa- 
tion relative to the Hungarian partridges, which were sent to me last winter, 
will say that my man in charge of the farm tells me these birds are very wild, 
and he has never been able to get a count on them to ascertain if they all made 
it through the winter safely, or if some of them died; but he is of the opinion 
that most, if not all, of them came through all right. These birds were re- 
ceived and liberated a day or two before the coming of a very severe sleet 
and snow storm, and being unable to get near them to leave feed, he feared 
they might perish; but he thinks none of them died during that severe spell. 
However, they were liberated and seemed to stay near the lots where we 
were feeding grain to our stock, and he thinks they frequented the feeding" 
places and were thereby able to get all the feed they needed. If any of our 
birds have left our places and gone on to the premises of our neighbors we 
have never heard of it. Shortly after we got our birds, some birds, supposed to< 
be Hungarian partridges, were seen about one and one-half miles from my 



32 

farm, but I do not think they were our birds. We are of the opinion that these 
birds are not bad to leave the premises where they are turned loose, particu- 
larly if they have plenty of food, water and shelter. Our birds had plenty 
of cover in the way of hedge fences, barns and other old buildings. Since 
spring came and the ground has been covered with grass and other vegeta- 
tion, we have not seen the birds as often as in the winter when the earth was 
bare. My man tells me that on several occasions he has seen a bunch of 
young birds of fifteen to eighteen, but he does not know whether it is the same 
bunch that he sees, or if there are several bunches. He has seen one pair that 
he thinks have failed to raise birds, and he suggests that their nest was likely 
robbed or destroyed. We are unable to tell you about how many birds we 
have, as it is impossible for us to know whether we see the same or a different 
bunch on different occasions. The bunch of fifteen or more were seen a day 
or so ago and they are now most if not as large as the old ones. If there is 
anything more that I can do for you or tell you about the partridges let me 
know and I will cheerfully do my best to give you the desired information. 
Thanking you for favors extended to me, I am, 

Yours truly, 

J. S. TAYLOR. 



Fredericktown, Mo., September i, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In July, 1910, I received from you six pheasants, one died ia 
shipment. I turned the remaining five out in a large chicken yard where they 
stayed a few days. From there they went to an orchard and I fed them until 
October, when they left and went about a quarter of a mile to an old corn crib 
surrounded by a thicket in a woods pasture, where they remained all winter. 
Hogs were fed near by; from this the birds received grain and there was 
running water in the pasture. 

Of the five birds there was one hen and four cocks. The hen set and hatched 
fourteen young birds, of which ten are now living. 

The hen, one cock and small birds stay in a covey while the other three cocks 
have "Bachelor apartments" near by. 

The young birds are beginning to feather, and it now looks like there are 
only two or three hens in the covey. 

Any time you can send me more birds, it will be greatly appreciated. 
Hoping this information will be of value to you, I am, 

Yours truly, 

A. F. SCHULTE, Jr. 



St. Louis, Mo., August 29, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to the circular letter concerning propagation of game 
I wish to answer for Charles Valentine, a tenant on my father's farm at 
Matson, St. Charles county. 

Through your kindness we received about ten Hungarian partridges and 
three pheasants, one cock and two hens. This was some time in May, as I 
recollect. We liberated the partridges at once and they seem" to have thrived well 
6s there is a brood now of about twenty. The pheasants we kept in the yard in 



33 

order to accustom themselves to the place, and after feeding some time they 
were liberated. There was no feding done during the winter of 1910 and 1911, 
as our birds were not received until after the cold weather was finished. 

The partridges seem to be able to take care of themselves and hatched 
young ones in their wild state as above indicated. We do not know of any 
birds on the neighboring premises. The pheasants do not seem to be able 
to take care of themselves against owls and vermin, for a short titme after 
the ones you sent were liberated by my man one of the hens was killed by 
some bird. 

If this is a proper season for shipment, I should like very much to have 
you send some more pheasants and Hungarian partridges, as the country is 
wild enough to insure a fair trial of their success. I forgot, though, about your 
appropriation; you probably have no birds as well as no funds. 

Yours very truly, 

LEIGHTON SHIELDS. 



Kansas City, Mo., September 4, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your inquiry as to what success I have had with pheasants 
you shipped me for liberation on my farm in Chariton county forwarded to 
me, and in reply will state briefly as possible conditions as actually existing on 
my place. 

We liberated the birds furnished in a lot grown over with heavy under- 
brush; in same lot there is a living spring and a small stream of water run- 
ning down the side of a hill out through the corner of a meadow. On other 
side of lot ground has been used for wheat for the last two years. The day 
we liberated the birds we spread several bundles of unthreshed wheat around 
in brush lot. The birds did not leave this lot for about a week or ten days, 
since then have been seen as far away from there as two miles, but at no 
time they have all been away from this lot at once. As a conservative estimate, 
should judge that we have tzventy-Hve or more young birds this season. I am 
taking into consideration the fact that we may have seen the same young twice. 
My tenant tells me there is in all probability from forty to -fifty young, but I am 
cutting my guess down a little. The birds seem to take a great liking to grass- 
hoppers and insects of a like nature. 

One of the male birds seems to have entirely abandoned the rest of the 
flock and roosts all the time in the hen house with the chickens. Has de- 
veloped into quite a vicious bird, and is master of the chicken ranch. I am 
very much encouraged at the success I have had with the birds on my place. 
Of course, last winter we took considerable pains to see to their having plenty 
of food and keeping the ice broken at least part of each day on the spring 
where they got their drinking water. 

I have erected a pen after the .style of those used on the experimental farm 
and would like very much to have another small pen of the birds at such a 
time as convenient to you, so that I may save the eggs, hatch them and liber- 
ate the birds at such a time as proper. 

In conclusion would say, if the pheasant can be successfully propagated 
as a farm bird or a game one, that it is the most valuable fowl that I have ever 
seen on a farm. From the very youngest to the oldest they are continually 
and persistently destroying insects from early morning until late at night. If 

No. 1 — 3 



34 

there is any other information that I can furnish you with regarding the con- 
ditions of the birds on my place, would be glad to do so at any time. 

Very respectfully, 

W. A. CHILCOTT. 
608-10 Wyandotte St., K. C, Mo. 



Lexington, Mo., August 28, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your letter in regard to the pheasants sent me, will say that 
they have done well, excepting that I lost one of the roosters before they were 
liberated, and think that was caused by the extreme hot weather at that time. 
They have hatched out quite a number this year and have been seen several times 
zvhere liberated and on adjoining farms. They seem gentle, as they have come 
several times into the yard to feed with the chickens. They have a splendid range 
and take care of themselves without any extra attention as to feed, etc. They* 
have access to wooded pasture as well as the prairie, and their feeding range is in 
both places. I think they will be a success under the protection of the law, as zve 
have, and the people seem interested in them. 

Most respectfully, 

WINFIELD S. PEACOCK. 



Joplin, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Of the six pheasants you sent me, one came dead, one was killed by a hunter, 
saying he thought it a prairie chicken, and the other three left, one remaining 
around the place for two or three months. 

From the two settings of eggs you sent we hatched out fifteen chicks. They 
remained with the chickens until a good size. They did not seem to go in a covey or 
flock. They gradually left, apparently one or two at a time. All are gone now, 
and we never see any of them any more. Most of them are alive, I suppose, and 
will perform the purpose for which they were sent out. 

Thanking you for your kindness in the matter, I am , 

Yours truly, 

d. e. Mcdowell. 



Ozark Homestead Farm, 
Reeds Spring, Stone County, Mo., September 2, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — We wish to make a report upon the outcome of our venture at 
pheasant raising, with the trio of birds you so kindly furnished us with last 
fall as stock birds. 

These birds wintered well in an open corn shed, with a small shed house 
attached, they sleeping or roosting out of doors nearly all the time, even the 
very coldest nights which we had. They were fed as were our poultry, and at 
the same time, three times a day, and in fact, were treated in just the same 
manner as were our Rhode Island Reds. 



35 

In the spring they began to lay, but the cock became sick and died, and 
he was replaced by another by yonr department, but the eggs proved infertile. 
They seemed well in every other respect, and this summer, when I let them 
loose upon the range, they still stayed around, and have all summer. 

At this time (September 2) they are still loose on the range of an un- 
limited number of acres, but show up morning and evening at our back porch 
to be fed, and are almost as gentle as a pet hen. They do not seem to want 
for any thing, but are fully capable of defending themselves against hawks, or 
even a full grown Rhode Island Red cock, and the only fear I have for them is 
that they may be shot by some "tie-hacker," or other person who does not 
care for law or anything else but to waste ammunition at all kinds of game. 

It would be a pleasure for me next season to try the Hungarian part- 
ridges, and feel satisfied they will do as well, or even better, as all during our 
winters we have covey after covey of quail (Bob White) in and around our 
garden, dung yards and wood lots, no one being allowed to shoot them on 
our place. 

Yours very truly, 

N. T. GREEN, Manager. 

I believe you are doing good work, and should be entitled to comment 
from all classes, but more especially by sport loving citizens. 



Rolla, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your circular letter of recent date, will give you all 
the information in my power regarding the birds you sent me last year. 

The pheasants you sent me last fall I placed them in a very good place; I 
thought, one mile from Rolla, and had a young man, who is very trustworthy, 
to feed them, they were there for a couple of months and all at once they left. 
I don't think they were shot, and I have heard nothing from them since. 

My stenographer made a mistake in describing those birds. It is the 
pheasants that are here yet, and the partridges are gone. 

Earlier you sent me some Hungarian partridges, six I think, was the number, 
I placed them in a very nice place, one-half mile from town. They became 
very tame, and went to a neighbor's house and eat with the chickens; but 
about s-ix months they changed the location about a mile, and since then 
/ have not seen all of them together at one time, but have reason to believe thai 
they were all living, and some of them hatched, but cannot find any of the young 
ones, but believe they have them hid azvay somewhere. If you should send me 
any more, with your consent, I will place them in a large barnyard with 
domestic chickens, and believe they will become as tame as barnyard chickens ,. 
I believe the latter is the bird for this country. 

The gentlemen that do the most hunting from Rolla, as well as myself, 
have taken a lively interest in those birds, and are always protecting them 
from the pot hunters. 

I met Mr. J. H. Curren in St. Louis not long since, who is a very dear 
friend of mine. He said then he wished that I could be personally acquainted 
with you. Hope some day I may. 

Wishing you success in all your undertakings, I wish to remain, 
Very respectfully yours, 

G. F. HOLLO WAY. 



36 

Hopkins, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours of 22nd received. In answer will say I turned out three pair 
of Hungarian partridges last spring; have seen them a few times since. One pair 
hatched out about one-half a mile from where they were liberated; there were 20 
chicks in the Hock. The others I have not heard from. They have plenty of feed, 
shade and. water. My neighbors are very much interested in the birds, and there is 
no danger of their being killed. The other questions I am unable to answer, not 
having the birds long enough. 

I would like to get some more and try to keep in a pen and have them tame, 
.before turning out. Yours truly, 

J. L. HEPBURN. 



Carthage, Mo., August 26, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I have your circular of recent date regarding the pheasants and 
Hungarian partridges which I released on my premises. 

/ did not feed these birds last winter for the reason that they zvere on ideal 
ground, and I felt sure they would have no difficulty in finding plenty of food and 
mater. They came through the winter in a flourishing condition, and I would 
■fudge from my experience that they are fully as hardy as our Bob Whites. Both 
the pheasants and the partridges are occasionally seen by my neighbors and myself 
and as near as I can tell, neither covey lost any birds. They have never been seen 
jnore than a mile from where they were released. 

I am sorry I cannot report having found some young ones, but I cannot. 
However I intend to take my dogs and look for them in a few days and will 
gladly report anything of interest I may find. 

These birds should be given every possible protection, and if this is done the 
sportsmen in this State will, in a few years, be more than repaid for their trouble. 

Your efforts towards having these birds raised in Missouri are certainly com- 
anendable, and I hope you will meet with the very best of success. 

Yours very truly, 

GEO. D. LEGGETT. 



LaPlata, Mo., August 28, 191 1. 
Jesse A: Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In answer to your circular letter regarding the pheasants you so 
kindly sent me I will say : That the pheasants came here in good condition and 
were liberated the following day on a 1,400-acre farm belonging to George Bloom; 
fthey zvere put next to a feed lot in which there has been ever since about four 
loads of fat cattle feeding; they were turned loose in a draw that ran along the 
feed lot line in which there was some undergrowth, furnishing splendid covering, 
with a few scattering trees; they stayed there the entire winter and were seen 
every day feeding in the feed lot and drinking out of the tanks; there was not a 
ioss of a single one the entire winter; sometimes they went up to the house and 
./barnyard and fed with and fought with the chickens, especially as spring ap- 
proached, but they were seen frequently until about the first of May, when they all 
•disappeared but one pair, some of them being seen as much as four miles from 
$he place where they spent the winter; this one pair was seen at the feed lots 
about the $th day of June for the last time, and since that time they have not been 
seen, although we looked the place over and I used my bird dogs in trying to locate 



37 

them. This tract of 1,400 acres of land has never had a hunter on it for the past 
three or four years, and is absolutely protected from trespassers, and the sur- 
rounding neighbors were very much interested in the outcome of the birds and 
were anxious to protect them, and allowed no hunting on their farms. Mrs, an-d 
Mr. Bloom are very much grieved over their loss, as they both take great interest 
in the birds and were very anxious to have them stay and nest. 

Now, I am of the opinion that they migrated, but where to J am unable so fair 
to learn, but will try this fall to find their young if they have nested, for I have 
all of the farmers in that part vf the country on the look for them. Mr. Rcesman 
of this place turned about twenty-five loose near this town about three years ago? 
and they every one left the country and wc never saw a young one from the entire 
ftock turned loose. 

I am very anxious to have some Hungarian partridges to turn loose on the 
Bloom farm, as it furnishes the best place for the experiment I know of, and 
these people are wealthy and take time and interest enough to properly try them 
out 

This has been an especially good year for nesting on account of the dry 
weather, and there are thousands of quail here, the greatest crop of young I ever 
saw in Missouri. 

Thanking you for your kindness to me in this matter, I am 

Truly yours, 

W. W. HENDERSON". 



Charleston^ Mo., August 25, 19 a 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In answer to your letter of recent date, I wish to say that I am one 
of the parties to whom you sent some pheasants last fall, and will say that they are 
still in the neighborhood, and just found a nest today of one with ten eggs: 

The only trouble we had with them, they wanted to go in the woods or some 
place where they could hide, they seem well satisfied until the fields become bare, 
and then they want to go to the swamp or thickets, so they could hide. 

My farm is near the railroad, and they seem to want to go there, in fact, there 
is where I found the nest. They seem able to take care of themselves pretty wcl{, 
only think you sent some out too young, as the first got was small and think they 
died, or at least most of them. I will watch the nest of this one and report to yott. 
later. I hope they will get along all O. K. 

If you would call the attention of your deputies in this locality to the fact that 
such birds should have better attention, I think would be a good idea, as we have 
a Jtard time trying to convince the people that these birds belong to the State and 
should not be killed. With best wishes, 

Respectfully yours, 

R. L. SHELBY. 



Monett, Mo., August 23, 19.tr. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson. City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I have your recent letter on hand and glad to answer your questions- 
about pheasants. 

I had three birds from you last fall, two females and one male. A few days 
after their arrival here one of the females got out of the cages and did stay all 
last winter in ours and adjoining fields. 



38 

The other female bird did not lay in her pen last spring, so I turned loose the 
male and female birds about the first part of May. The other female got back with 
them in a short time. 

The two birds kept in my cage were very tame when I give them their 
freedom, and they did stay in our yard, or at close quarters, for about one 
month. 

These three birds are running at large from our house to about one mile and 
a. half or two miles, and do stay generally on the highest elevations of land. 

We fed the pheasants about eight or ten weeks after their liberation, corn, 
wheat, maize, millet, etc., but the quail and other birds stole a good part of that 
food. 

On account of heavy timbered lands in our vicinity I have been unable of 
Sate to see if our pheasants had young ones. The male bird last week came in our 
yard, but I failed to see the others, and I am nearly certain that they have raised 
a covey somewhere. I am very busy now making wine, as I am a grape grower, 
and as soon as my work is over, will make a careful search for them. So far the 
neighbors have seen no young pheasant birds yet. 

I am quite convinced that it is important to keep pheasants in pen all winter 
and then turn them loose in spring. In that manner they get very tame and more 
npt to settle permanently in the surrounding country and will not migrate at long 
distances like the birds turned loose immediately after their shipping from Jef- 
ferson City. 

The partridges liberated on our place after their arrival were exceedingly 
wild. They kept drifting continually to the south of us and since last spring I 
never heard of them any more. 

' All the pheasants sent by you in our locality arc much wilder than ours, and 
last week I got information of one male pheasant seen at about seven miles of our 
place, probably one bird sent by you to Mr. Frank Mermond, and as Mr. Mermond 
was himself to our house last Sunday, I let him know about that matter. 

The example of my success in keeping my pheasants at short range is closely 
watched here and give full confidence to the people that good care and good treat- 
ment to pheasants will insure their speedy propagation here or other parts of coun- 
try. 

I will be very glad to have pheasants from you this fall, and several farmers 
are building pens and would like very much to have a few pheasants for next 
winter. If it is not of too much inconvenience to you I will send you their names 
in a couple of weeks, as by that time I aim to write to you again to give you the 
results about our pheasants. 

This year I have a small field planted in maize, sunflower and hemp expressly 
for the use of pheasants and quail, and no doubt these birds will enjoy those seeds 
finely later on, 

Yours truly, 

L. COUTANT. 



Charleston, Mo., September 9, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I write to make application for consignment of some game birds — 
pheasants and partridges — if not against your rule to distribute both to same 
party. My information from parties here who got the pheasants last year is that 
in most instances where the birds have been favored with protection they survived 
the winter and a number of young birds have been seen. 



39 

Now, I have a farm of 320 acres, devoted to general farming, on which I 
grow corn, clover, peas, oats, etc., with 35 acres of same in wood lots, left for 
stock, shade and pasture land, which I never expect to clear. This land is grown 
up with underbrush and briars, etc., affording as ideal protection as could be de- 
sired, with a tenant living on said farm who can be relied upon to protect the 
birds from hunters as closely as could be done. Besides, my farm is surrounded 
by lands owned by Mr. Wm. Holloway of this place and Mr. W. B. Passmore of 
Deventer, Mo., the lands of both being same as mine — general farming lands, with 
plenty of thickets and briars and bushes to give ample protection. They have both 
said that they would apply for consignment of birds, too. If the three of us could 
be favored with a consignment, each, I feel sure that no place in the State could 
be better to liberate a bunch of birds. 



Trusting that I may be favored with a shipment, I am 

Yours truly, 



CHAS. R. LOVE. 



Winston, Mo., August 28, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I am in receipt of circular letter sent out by your department in 
which you make inquiry regarding my success with the pheasants. 

In reply will state that the pheasants sent me were liberated as per instructions. 
I did not feed them during the winter only as they happened to come around the 
barn lot and ate with the chickens and hogs. I have one rooster pheasant that 
seems to make it a point to happen in around the barn just about feeding time 
almost every evening. You remember we experienced some very severe weather 
last winter, the thermometer going down to ten degrees below zero, and every- 
thing being covered with ice for many days. I had little hope of ever seeing any 
of the birds after that spell, but was agreeably surprised to find in the spring that 
at least two hens and three roosters had survived the winter. There was probably 
more of them which we did not happen to see. I cannot say as to whether or not 
they have hatched any young ones in their wild state. 

I do not believe the birds are bad to migrate, as neighbors living within a 
mile or two of me frequently speak of seeing them. I certainly believe them to 
be as hardy as the Bob White, and that if we persevere we will soon get them 
started in Missouri. 

In conclusion will say that I received the pheasants, but you also sent, at my 
request, one shipment of Hungarian partridges, which I delivered to Mr. A. J. 
Metcalf of Weatherby, Mo. 

Yours respectfully, 

H. L. JOHNSON. 



High Point, Mo., August 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter concerning pheasants sent me, to hand today. Will say 
that I received six pheasants, two males and four females, sometime last Decem- 
ber. I placed them in a large cage, kept them there until about March 10, 1911. In 
the meantime two of the females died, from what cause I am unable to say. I 
liberated the four remaining ones at date stated, about sundown, expecting them 
to fly up in the trees, but they flew about 200 yards into the open fields, and I 
have never seen them since. But some of the neighbors saw them frequently for 



40 

a month or so after I turned them out. Since that I have not heard of them, so I 
cannot say if they hatched any young, or what became of them. They were well 
taken care of while I had them, but they seemed so wild or afraid of any one,, 
would not become gentle. I was very glad to get them and hope they are still in. 
the vicinity and may be seen later on. 

Respectfully, 

J. F. TISING. 



Holland, Mo., August 27, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In regard to the Hungarian partridges I received last winter will 
say : I can't give you much information in regard to them. 

I turned them out on the farm, and they haven't been seen but very few times 
since. I saw a couple of them about a month ago. As to whether they are able 
to take care of themselves, I can't say. 

Yours very truly, 

P. A. COLEMAN. 



Nelson, Mo., R. 1, August 26, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your inquiry regarding pheasants you shipped me last fall received. 
I liberated the birds, three hens and two cocks, in a good place, with plenty of feed. 
They roosted there one night and commenced moving in an easterly direction 
about the next day, stopping just about one-half mile from here, then going on 
about two miles from there, where they stayed nearly all winter, and then dis- 
appeared. 

They had plenty of feed. As soon as I heard where they were, would offer to 
pay man to feed them, but as there was no bad weather to speak of, they did not 
require extra feed, there being plenty in the fields. 

Believe the birds like to migrate some, and after they discovered their enemy 
they could take care of themselves. 

Would try some more pheasants or partridges if you will ship them to me;, 
have good place for them ; plenty feed, timber and water. 

Yours truly, 

ROBERT BAGNELL. 



Stockton, Mo., R. R. 2, August 26, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your inquiry at hand. In reply will say that our birds came 
through the winter all right. 

One pair nested and raised young. I have only seen one pair, the others have 
migrated. We did not feed, but turned loose in feed lot and birds had plenty of 
feed. Would it be possible to get another pair or so. There are some parties that 
desire to try a pair of those quail. If so, I'll send you names of parties for a pair 
of same. I received Hungarian quail. 

Respectfully yours, 

W. E. PHIPPS. 



41 

Hughesville, Mo., September 5, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City,. Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In answer to your letter of recent elate, will say in regard to your 
shipment of Hungarian partridges sent me, that I fed them regularly for about 
ten days, when the spring opened up and they commenced to shift for themselves. 

Owing to the dense undergrowth, I am unable to form any opinion as to how 
many of them are scattered through the country. As soon as the hunting season 
open up we will be able to give you a better idea of the success of your venture 
with Hungarian partridges. 

I understand Theodore Shelton has quite a number on his place of the lot 
you sent him. 

With many thanks for the shipment, I remain, 

Yours truly, 

JOHN BULGER. 



Smithton, Pettis Co., Mo., August 29, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In answer to yours of recent date will say the partridges came 
through the winter in good shape. We did not feed them, only put a few shocks 
of millet in their range, which, of qourse, is fine feed for quail or partridges. 
This spring early we used to see the birds quite often, but for the past three 
months have seen very little of them. It may be they are setting and keeping hid. 
Have not seen any young ones. We would like very much to have a few pheasants- 
on the Limestone Valley farm. 

Thanking you for the birds and hope thejr will do good for us, 

Yours truly, 

L. M. MONSEES & SONS. 



Glasgow, Mo., September 4, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter of recent date I will say : In the spring 
of 1910 you sent me one pair pheasants ; they never laid one egg, and about the 
15th of June I wrote you that fact. You advised me to turn them out. I did so 
about the first of July. In the fall they hatched three young birds. They stood 
the winter fine. I fed them several days during a heavy sleet we had last winter. 
They were all together until th first of April, whn the young ones disappeared. I 
never knew what became of them, whether something caught them or whether they 
migrated. The old ones are here and have ten young ones. The young ones are 
about as large as grown partridges. 

Last spring you sent me four pair of Hungarian partridges to liberate. I 
turned them out in a very heavy thicket, with plenty of running water. I don't 
know what they have done, for I have not seen one of them since I turned them 
out 

It is a very quiet out-of-the-way place, and I still have hopes of them being 
there yet. 

Respectfully, 

W. A. HUGHES. 



42 

Keytesville, Mo., August 27, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — From the eggs you sent me this spring I succeeded in raising six 
pheasants — three males and three females. One day last week one of the females 
got some poison and died. Could you send me a female so as to make my three 
pair complete? I have the birds in a twenty-acre apple orchard, and they seem to 
find the surroundings entirely satisfactory. 

If you are going to distribute any eggs next spring I would like to have my 
name put on your list for as many eggs as you can spare. 
Thanking you for your past courtesies, I am 

Cordially yours, 

ROY W. RUCKER. 



Green Ridge, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I received five of the pheasants of which you spoke of. One was 
very small and got away when I first got them. The other four I kept cooped for 
about three weeks and then liberated them. They lived through the winter on the 
farm among the stock as good as Bob Whites. Although they had plenty of food 
they ran on the farm wild. In the spring they mated. Two stayed on my farm. 
The hen laid ryne eggs not far from the house and I found her dead on nest and 
couldn't say how long she had been dead before finding her. We brought the 
eggs to the house and put them under a hen. Two of them pipped, but were so 
weak they could not get out of shell. The others were dead in the shell. The 
rest are still living. The other pair on the adjoining farm was alive this 
week. They have raised young birds, but don't know how many, as they stay in 
weeds and brush. I received pheasants, in answer to your question of which I 
received, pheasants or Hungarian partridges. We have plenty of shelter, water 
and food supplied on the farm for them. My opinion is that they won't immigrate 
where they are supplied with shelter, water and food. Under those circumstances 
I think that they are able to take care of themselves against hawks, owls, etc., as 
good as Bob Whites. If it is not asking too much I should like to try some more. 

Yours truly, 

J. R. CALDWELL. 



Lancaster, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. ". 

Dear Sir — Replying to your circular letter will say that I received four pair 
of Hungarian partridges. I liberated them in a dense white oak section where 
water is abundant, except in an extremely dry time like this, but there are numer- 
ous springs and stock wells in this section, so they will not perish. This same 
section is bordered with rich and fertile bottom lands, where all kinds of crops 
are grown. These birds were released in May and have been seen since several 
times. I have not seen them, but several farmers have reported to me that they 
have seen them, all of them. They have never paired off, but have all stayed in a 
flock, so I fear that they have not mated. I have been expecting to go out in the 
locality and hunt them up, but it has been so awfully hot that it would mean 
suicide to do so. When it gets a little cooler and a little damper I will go and 
see if I can find them. 



43 

The farmers of the locality are all eager to see them and are anxious to have 
them increase, so they will be protected as far as possible. Of course, we expect 
some low-down pot hunter to shoot some of them, but he must keep very quiet 
about it, or he will get a dose of "pizened law." Our county attorney will never 
quit prosecuting because he is a true sportsman. 

We have a bunch of would-be sports here who have in past years shot bob- 
tailed quail, but last year I put your most efficient deputy next to it and we come 
very near landing two of them. So they will all be shy about shooting out of 
season this year. In conclusion I wish to compliment you upon your splendid ad- 
ministration, especially in naming and retaining our J. H. Myers as one of your 
deputies. Being at one time a deputy myself, I know that he is and has done all 
that any one could do. 

Wishing you further success, I am 

Yours truly, 

R. L. EASON, 



Odessa, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I am in receipt of a letter from you asking about the pheasants and 
partridges you made me in the State distribution, and in reply will say my belief 
is that both the pheasants and partridges will, with some care, succeed here, for 
there are some of each hatched this season and they will, in my observation, after 
they are acclimated, be prolific, and we zvill have our State restocked with the great- 
est of game birds. It requires time and patience to develop these birds and to pro- 
tect them from the pot hunters, but a few prosecutions would determine the latter 
hindrance. With best wishes for your success in an enterprise you have given 
your time and patience for the benefit of our State, I am 

Very truly yours, 

C. Y. FORD. 



Napton, Mo., August 30, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish- Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Replying to your circular letter recently received, will say : Last 
fall you kindly sent me six pheasants, and this spring two more. 

The birds were not fed last winter, but ran with the chickens part of the 
time and came through the winter in good shape. They range about one mile 
and seem to prefer the open pastures and meadows to thick, brushy cover. One 
hen was killed by my mowing machine while setting on a nest of eggs. Another 
hen has a brood of twelve young ones, now about three-fourths grown. Think she 
made her nest in an Osage orange hedge fence. 

The other hens have not been seen lately, but am in hopes they have raised 
broods also. 

The hens are much shyer than the cocks. There is one cock I see every few 
days around the barn and orchard, and think the hens must be near also, but they 
keep well hid. We have plenty of brush and timber along the creeks and gullies 
for good cover, but the birds do not seem to range there much. 

Hoping you will make a success of stocking our State with these fine birds, 
I remain 

Yours truly, 

GEO. P. SMITH. 



44 

Maysville, Mo., August 31, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours in reference to the pheasants we received, but we have beep 
so busy building I have been slow about answering. You sent me six pheasants, 
but two were dead on arrival. I turned out the four in the timber. I have never 
been able to see them myself, but I think all four are living, as the neighbors 
have seen some of them several times. A man saw a pair of them this spring 
near the place they were released, and a lady gathering blackberries saw a bird she 
thinks was a pheasant, with some young ones. They have never been fed. A 
creek runs through my farm and there is timber up and down it for a great many 
miles. The one the lady saw was two or three miles up the creek. I think they 
are able to take care of themselves. There is an alfalfa field on each side of the 
creek, and two of them were seen in my neighbor's wheat field this fall. 

Yours respectfully, 

S. W. COOKE & SON. 



Maysville, Mo., August 31, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo, : 

Dear Sir — I have to report that my experience raising pheasants is not very 
good, although I thought I was giving them good care. I sent to St. Louis for 
pheasant meal and some other feed. There were only eight of the eggs you sent 
me hatched; they started off fine, until they were a few weeks old, then they had 
the cholera, gapes, and I do not know what all diseases they did have, and thej r 
all died. I was in hopes to have raised them, as we want the country stocked 
with them if we can. I think they would do well here, as the winters are not very 
cold and do not have much snow. Generally open winters until November or 
December. 

Now, if you have any pheasants or Hungarian partridges for distribution I 
would be pleased to receive them and turn them out. 

Yours truly, 

S.W. COOKE. 



St. Louis, Mo., August 31, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — According to your request I will give you the information regard- 
ing the partridges you sent me. 

The last report I had from the farm was that an old pair had been seen with 
twelve young. If you will remember, they were delivered to me quite late and 
did not require any feeding, as there was plenty of feed to be found. 

I surely believe they are able to take care of themselves as well as the Bob 
White, they having the same habits as the quail, and the hawks, etc., will not be 
able to take advantage of them. 

Should you desire more information at any time please command me. 

Respectfully yours, 

W. C. REGLI, 
3668 Gravois Ave. 



45 

Higbee, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : ~ 

Dear Sir — The birds I received were the Hungarian partridges, and I only re- 
ceived one pair. Was at the Show You Congress at Moberly. I have kept a 
close lookout for them ever since we liberated them and have seen them several 
times. This year I have seen several coveys that appeared to be the -Hungarian 
partridges. They seem to do equally as well as the native birds. I saw that all 
our quail had access to the stock barns and sheds and had grain where they had 
access to it in the severe weather. 

I wish very much to get a start of the pheasants, and would like very much 
to have some sent to me at my present address. Father has over a thousand acres 
■of land that is well adapted to the birds. 

Yours truly, 

W. J. MILLER. 



MONTEVALL0, Mo., AugUSt 31, igil. 

Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I received six Chinese pheasants from you in 1910, four hens and 
two cocks; fed them during the winter when snow was on ground and weather 
bad. I think they would have been fully able to take care of themselves, as we 
did not have a very bad winter for them. Two of the hens hatched young ones. 
Saw five young ones with one, the other one I was not able to count the young 
ones. It's my opinion that they pair off in the spring same as our common quail. 
The two male birds seem to run with the two hens that have young ones. Saw 
one of the hens last week alone without any brood. Cannot account for the other 
hen, though she came through the winter all right. I don't think they are bad to 
migrate. One hen and brood is on one of my neighbor's farm that joins me on the 
east. I don't think that hawks or owls bother the old ones ; can't say about the 
young ones. Of course, the regular chicken hawk would catch the young ones 
same as chickens, but think it would be a pretty hard job, as they seem to like 
high grass and briar patches and thick brush. I have tried to take special care of 
them, allowing no hunting on my land with gun and dogs and don't intend to. 
Any information I can give you will gladly do so. I would like for you to reg- 
ister my name for some Hungarian partridges as soon as you have supply of them 
on hand. I am 

Most truly yours, 

' J. W. MAY, 

Montevallo, Mo., Route No. 1. 
P. S. : — I own 460 acres of land, with plenty of timber, high grass and briars 
on the north side. I think I have an ideal location for them; have plenty of quail, 
squirrel and rabbits on it. Don't value the rabbits very high though. 

J. W. M. 



Marceljne, Mo., August 29, 19 n. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter of recent date received. Note your inquiry regarding 
the pheasants and partridges. 

As to the pheasants will say, I think they all got through the winter O. K., 
but have not seen the hens since spring, but the cocks have been seen several 



46 

times, so I do not know if the hens are still on the place and in hiding, or have 
migrated. The only bunch of young I know of is about half way between my 
place and another bunch of old ones, so I do not know to which bunch they be- 
long, but they are about the size of quail, and doing well. 

The partridges are raising on the farm and are O. K. They are able to care 
for themselves against weather or varmin. 

Very respectfully, 

J. S. WALKER. 



Sedalia, Mo., August 24, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours just received, and will say in reply that you shipped me last 
season seven young pheasants and directed me to liberate them at once. I turned 
them out where there was plenty of water and food on the farm, but it was very 
warm. One of them was sick when it came and died a few days later in the barn- 
yard. I saw another one some two or three weeks after I liberated them on the 
farm, but have never seen anything of them since. I am afraid they all died. 
Thanking you for past favors, I remain, 

Your truly, 

E. E. SWINK. 



Estjll, Mo., August 29, 191 1. 
Jesse A . Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your request of August 22, wish to state that I received 
six Hungarian partridges last summer and liberated them when there was an 
abundance of feed — there being a corn field on one side, wheat field on the other 
and a blue grass pasture on the other. The birds were let loose in a clover field 
with plenty of water. I saw the birds several times, the last date being about the 
5th of October, and since that date I have seen or heard nothing of them. 

About the middle of last January I noticed a cock pheasant near the chicken 
yard, and a few mornings later he was with the chickens and has been on the 
place ever since, frequently roosting in the cedar trees near the house. I received 
these pheasants last April — two hens and a cock. These I kept in a large pen for 
two weeks or more, hoping that the old cock pheasant would mix with them, but 
he hardly noticed them at all and seemed to prefer the chickens. I let the pheas- 
ants out near the house and kept wheat and corn around the hollows, where they 
could easily find it. About two weeks after liberating them I saw one hen pheas- 
aant, but have not seen any since. With the exception of the old cock, I do not 
think there are any' pheasants or Hungarian partridges on the place. The birds 
have either migrated or died, as there is always an abundance of food and my 
place is posted. 

I regret that I cannot send you a more satisfactory report. 

Very truly yours, 

R. G. ESTILL. 



Maysville, Mo., August 31, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your inquiry as to the Hungarian partridges will say, 
that a short time after they were received last winter we liberated them on a farm 



47 

and near the feed yard, where the stock was being fed. They are very wild. We 
have seen three of the pairs which have hatched their young, and seem to be 
getting along all right. 

Yours truly, 

E. A. BUNTON. 



Frankford, Mo., August 31,1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I have been away from home, hence delay in answering your letter. 
I will give you the facts and you can be the judge. On M. J. Jones' farm he saw 
one covey of about fifteen young birds. On Richard Cacss' farm his man saw a 
covey of twelve or fifteen. On G. G. Thompson's farm his man a covey, but was 
not able to tell how many birds were in it. On Dan Strother's farm there is a 
large covey. On my farm I have one very large covey and one covey with only 
four young ones. I have three pair that I have seen without any young. I am 
satisfied one pair lost their eggs by fire, as fire got out where they used to be and 
burned over about five acres of my ground. Now, the above-mentioned persons all 
join farms with me, except Dan Strother, and his place is about one-half a mile 
from mine. Now, as to the pheasants, I haven't heard of them since spring, and 
I consider this a good sign, because I know they went through the winter in good 
shape. The last trio of pheasants you sent me I kept confined. I have twelve 
nice young ones. Oiie of the hens failed to lay, I thought possibly she was too 
young. I am satisfied the quail, as well as the pheasants, will be a success. You 
ask me if I fed the birds, I fed them during that snow and sleet, but not after it 
left, as they had access to a corn field that I turned sheep in. 

Wishing you continued success, I remain 

Yours, 

JESSE B. JONES. 



Marouand, Mo., August 31, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I am in receipt of your recent inquiry in regard to the Hungarian 
partridges sent me some time ago. 

In reply will say that I received same in good condition, and as the winter 
was still unbroken I kept them up for some time, giving them proper attention. 
As soon as the weather permitted they were liberated on my farm. They were 
seen at different times and seemed to be doing fine, but finally disappeared. I 
think they went over on my neighbor's farm, as there was considerable timber and 
tall grass in that particular section. 

While I have not seen them since the breeding season came in, but am satis- 
fied that they are still living, and I see no reason why they have not done well, as 
they have had an excellent range with plenty to eat, and we have had a dry season 
here, which should be very favorable for hatching. I will make an effort to locate 
them and see how they have increased. I am not able to say as to how well they 
are able to protect themselves from hawks, owls, etc. But if they are where I 
think they have been this season they have a good hiding place in the timber and 
grass, with water near them. Any information that I may be able to get later on 
I will report to you. Thanking you for the shipment, and should there be a dis- 
tribution of pheasants later on I would be glad to receive some of them. 

Your very truly, 

D. S. WATTS. 



48 

Noel, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your letter asking for information in regard to the pheasants that 
I received, will say that I turned them over to Mr. E. N. Perry, a gentleman, is a 
sportsman and a farmer. He has Mallard ducks, wild geese; also, deer, a black 
hear, wild turkeys, game chickens, pacing horses and twelve acres of fish ponds 
stocked with black bass, crappie, channel cat and perch. He turned the birds out 
last fall and they stayed about his barns all winter, and as the winter was open, 
did not have to feed them. He has just told me that there were five or six bunches 

of young birds in his park about 125 or 150 all told, and looking fine and tame. 

"Will let you know about them this winter. 
Please send me your report, and oblige, 

Yours truly, 

C. E. DAVIS. 



Palmyra, Mo., August 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner; Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Relative to your letter of recent date, will state that both pheasants 
and partridges have done well. The partridges in particular. These are more 
often seen along roadsides and in open country. I have seen several coveys recent- 
ly that are evidently the second hatching, for there are others full grown. Their 
habits are almost identical with our quail. They range about same and feed on 
same grain and seed. They winter and care for themselves equally as well as our 
native bird. Last winter, however, wasn't especially severe, and but little feed 
was thrown out. In my opinion they are a thrifty, haughty bird. It is far too 
early to pass judgment as to their migratory habits; quail will move usually the 
latter part of September and first of October, rarely earlier unless the fall is es- 
pecially early, and although I have heard of covey containing twenty-five to thirty, 
I think this exaggerated. What I've seen is about in keeping with our quail, num- 
bering from fourteen to twenty, and I think the flocks of twenty, if counted on 
the ground and not in the air, there wouldn't be quite as many. I believe the 
partridge will do better in our county than the pheasants. We are too thickly 
settled and farms closely cultivated. In other words, the pheasant likes broken 
wooded and well watered ravines. I don't think he would be satisfied in corn 
fields and weedy draws nor along hedges, out in stubble or in old orchards. 

A good many kept the pheasants quite a little while before liberating, and in 
some instances they have been seen together late in spring and later, after mating 
and nests have been found before and after hatching, but few young have been 
seen. ,, Several farmers have never seen them since they opened the coop, but several 
miles away they have turned up and are still there. In every instance it is where 
they are turned out in open country and have sought the bluffs of the nearest 
stream. My personal experience is that they will stand a much more severe 
climate than ours. They remain fat and strong the year round. A grown cock is 
as strong and, in some instances, as game as any domestic game cock. The hen 
is timid, and will crawl through the grass like a snake and can hide in places that 
would show up a quail. For this reason some farmers say that there were no 
hens sent out, as they never have seen one, they only see the cocks, and that 
sometimes they come up to the barn lot. I think the cock pheasant does this to 
protect the hen and draw attention to himself; he is naturally stuck on himself 
anyway on account of his plumage ; he will show up around the poultry because* he 
hears the hens and especially the crow of the rooster. This all sounds good to 
him, and he has nerve to "get in the clear." It's too early now to answer correctly 



49 

the various questions you ask, but along in December or first of January, will be 
a.ble to give more general information. 

Thanking you for your prompt and courteous treatment, I beg leave to remain, 

Very respectfully yours, 

W. B. MARKELL. 



Odessa, Mo., August 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolenon, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter of recent date, relative to the game birds shipped me, 
is received and will say in reply that I took the best care of the birds that I could, 
and I think that they came through the winter all O. K. The birds were turned in 
a feed lot where there was always corn and water and they had a large woods 
pasture to run in where there was plenty of cover for them in the shape of un- 
derbrush. I have seen the birds a number of times, but I have never seen any 
young birds and cannot say if there is any. 

Yours truly, 

B. ELLIOTT. 



Bevier, Mo., August 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Received your circular letter of inquiry relative to the pheasants 
sent me last year from your department, beg to say from the first year's experi- 
ence that as far as I am able to ascertain, the fowls done exceedingly well, taking 
into consideration the rough winter weather last year. I believe they will survive 
and take care of themselves if they survived the past winter. While I cannot ac- 
count for all the six fowls sent me, there are enough in this section to form a 
good breeding start. Have not, however found any young for this season. The 
birds, in my opinion, at times migrate and remain for some while, then return. 

I do not think the vermin does them any harm. As soon as they are of any 
size they are fleet on wing and can easily tak^e care of themselves. 

Thank you for the consignment sent me, as the people in general are in 
hearty sympathy with the movement to stock up on these fowls. 

Glad at any time in the future to assist you or the department if I can be of 
any assistance, command me, I am 

Yours truly, 

T. A. ROWLAND. 



KlRKSVILLE, MO., AllgUSt 23, I9II. 

Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter received, and in reply will say I received the Chinese 
pheasants last fall and I kept the birds up for about a week. At that time they 
got loose and got into a large woods pasture of two thousand acres, which I own. 
I have never been able to see the birds since, but they have been seen several 
times by the party who is on the farm. Somtime ago one of their nests was found 
in part of the timber pasture, but the old hen has not come off with the young 
ones yet. So these birds, so far, have not migrated much. 

Very respectfully, 

H. M. STILL. 

No. 1—4 



50 

Cassville, Mo., August 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — I received four pair of Hungarian partridges, and as far as I 
know they have done well, as I did not have to feed them during the winter, 
as there was plenty of shock corn in the field in which they ranged. I do 
not think they are bad to migrate, but they seem to be great rangers. They 
paired off in the spring, two pair staying on my farm and two pair going on 
farms adjoining mine. There has been one covey of young birds seen on 
one of my neighbor's farms, about 25 or 30 in the covey. 

I think they are fully as capable of taking care of themselves as our Bob 
Whites or any other bird. 

Yours truly, 

ELIOT K. HORTNE. 



Fulton, Mo., August 21, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 
Dear Sir — Enclosed find list of farmers I placed the pheasant eggs with. 
I have not seen many of them to learn what success they have had. My 
early hatches done very well, but my late ones were no good. My first lot 
have left their coops and stay out on the farm. I wanted to pen a few of 
them for breeding stock next year, but I am afraid I have put it off too late. 
Several of the lot that I raised last year have broods close here. I saw an 
old hen pheasant on my place a few days ago that had a fine brood with her — 
about fifteen — they looked fine. 

I want to come over soon and see what you have. 

Yours truly, 

T. W. LYNES. 



St. Louis, Mo., August 23, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — I am in receipt of your inquiry regarding the pheasants you 
so kindly sent me last year. In reply to same, I beg to advise you that I 
liberated six birds in Forest Park last year and looked after them through 
the winter months. I a munable to state whether or not they have raised 
any young, as I left them to shift for themselves in the spring, as I deemed 
it best not to disturb them. I do not think they migrate, as the birds sent 
me were to be seen all winter close to the place of liberation. At times I 
have had trouble locating the birds, and could find them only with the aid 
of my pointer dog. I will look for them the next day or two and will write 
you more fully. 

Hoping you are receiving successful reports, and wishing you success in 
the above enterprise, I am, 

Respectfully yours, 

CHAS. WEINBRENNER. 

Care Marshal's Office, St. Louis. 



Keytesville, Mo., September 22, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter, August 18, I cannot give you much 
information in regard to seven quails and seven pheasants, all received last 



51 

spring. Have an excellent place for them. Don't think we have any hawks 
or owls ; have not seen any for years. Have not seen any of them ; the 
brush and weeds furnish an excellent hiding place for them. Two of my 
neighbors report seeing them. My house is adjoining the pasture where the 
birds are. Will try not to have them stray. Many thanks for them. Will 
use my utmost endeavors to make them a success. 
No hunting allowed on my grounds. 

Very truly, 

WM. E. HILL. 



Bonnots Mill, Mo., August 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter of today will say the pheasants you 
sent me some time ago seem to be doing nicely. There is now about thirty 
or more young birds hatched this summer, and they seem to take care of 
themselves, but a few of them have been caught by the hawks. The birds 
are now not more than a mile from where they were liberated. They were 
given some feed during the big snow last winter. The farmers are all. on. 
the lookout for hunters to see that no one kills any of these birds. The 
farmers in this section are all taking a great deal of interest in these birds 
and want to see that they are properly protected. 

Very respectfully, 

VICTOR E. CARTIER. 

P. S. — At any time you can spare some more of these birds, would like to 
have some more, as a farmer west of town would like to have some to put 
on his farm. 



Fruitville, Mo., August 21, 191 i r 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter of inquiry as to the pheasants and the 
Hungarian partridges kindly sent me by you and liberated on the Fruitville 
farms last year, I am glad to report that the pheasants seem to have win.r 
tered well on their own accord and without feed, and have been rearing their 
young in the open during the summer. 

As to the Hungarian partridges, I have never seen any of them but once,, 
and have not heard of their having been seen by my neighbors. 
Very sincerely and truly yours, 

JAY L. TORREY. 



LaMonte, Mo., August 23, 191 r. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.; 

Dear Sir — In reply to your circular in regard to game birds, I received 
of you in the late summer or early fall of 1910 six English pheasants- and 
liberated them at once on a timber and prairie farm, where they had plenty 
of cover and feed. Some of them were seen near where liberated perhaps a 
month later. Two went to neighboring farms and took up with the chickens,, 
where they stayed until winter, when they disappeared. One was seen about. 



52 

four miles from where liberated about a month after liberating them. I do 
not know where any of them are. at present. It would seem that they are 
a migratory bird. 

If you have the Hungarian partridges, I would like to try them. 

Yours very truly, 

R. E. GUTHRIE. 



Chilton, Mo., August 21, 191 t. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Answering yours just received, will say that I have seen none 
of the pheasants since April, but think they are hiding in the brush, caring 
for their young. 

Senator G. T. Lee was on my farm recently and says he saw what he 
thought was a covey of young pheasants. 

As soon as I sight them, will inform you of the fact. 
, I feel confident that this is a good country for them once they get 
started off right. I think it better to distribute them in the spring after cold 
weather. 

Yours very truly, 

B. F. CHILTON. 



Mexico, Mo., August 20, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your circular letter, I have on my farm three 
coveys of them pheasants of about sixteen, and nine to twelve in this covey. 
Have heard of one other covey on a neighbor's farm where there is a good 
deal of old hedge fence. During the winter I did not feed them, but they 
seemed to take care of themselves around old straw stacks and feed lots. 

I think the partridges would be more suitable to prairie farms, and a 
better game. bird. The pheasants are inclined to be too gentle; will, run a 
long ways before taking to flight and are too large for a game bird. 

Could I get a trial of the Hungarian partridges? 

I have also on my place some 100 or more prairie chickens, and think 
the partridges would do well. 

Yours truly, 

G. CLAY. 



Sweet Springs, Mo., August 28, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Have just received your letter in regard to birds sent me. 
Will say about February 1st I received four pair of the Hungarian partridges. 
I followed your instructions carefully. Liberated them at one, about Feb- 
ruary 19th. We had a very bad blizzard. You also wrote me again about 
caring for the birds through the storm. I had put out plenty of food for 
them, besides they appeared to take up quarters around where some stock 
were being fed, so they got along nicely. All or most all of them are now 
oh "my place, and have hatched a good many young ones, as I have seen 



53 

three different broods of about twenty in each brood. Their nature 
appears to be like our Bob White, in as much as they stay around one locality 
while raising their young. I think there will be no question about them 
adapting themselves to our section of country, as the ones I have are doing 
so well, and I am very proud of them, and would just like to say if our 
people would take some interest in getting and protecting them they will 
prove to be a blessing to all, in destroying insects, as I have said they like 
to stay around where they have been raised. Besides, if the hunters will let 
them alone for a few years the country would become thoroughly stocked 
and they Jbeing larger than our common bird, they would be something to 
be proud of. And again thanking you for them, I remain, 

Very truly yours, 
P. S. — I would be very glad, when the time suits, to have a trio of the 
pheasants. 

DAVID SHANKS. 



Marceline, Mo., August 22, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — I received your circular sent several days ago, and will answer 
at least some of the questions. 

I received the Hungarian quails during the most severe storm that we 
had all winter. I had to hold them several days, and then turned them 
loose. They made a long fly at first and left my place entirely, but they are 
living close by, and I get to see them quite often. One of them either died 
or was killed in some manner, as one is missing. The others are all right, 
and paired off this season all right. They took care of themselves during the 
winter, and I have never had to feed them nor water them. I have also seen 
some of the pheasants that you sent around here, and see where they have 
raised a bunch of little ones, so think that they are all right, too. 

I would like to get a hold of some more birds, as mine left me, and 
would like to have them on my place. 

Please advise me, if possible, to get them. 

Yours truly, 

FRED. LANCASTER. 

P. S. — Also, please send me one of the pamphlets. 



Mount Vernon, Mo., August 21, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your circular, will say you shipped me four pair 
Hungarian partridges early this spring. These birds have lived through the 
winter without having to be fed, and they seem to be able to take care of 
themselves equally as well as any of our native birds. There has been two< 
or three hatches of these birds, and as near as I can get at it there is from 
20 to 25 in each covey. 

These birds were given their liberty on a 160-acre farm, and as far as I 
know, they are still on this farm. They have sufficient cover and plenty of 
water, and seem to be well satisfied. 

Yours very truly, 

FRANK T. O'NEAL. 



54 

Savannah, Mo., August 21, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — -Yours of recent date in regard to the Hungarian partridges you 
sent me will say in reply, I received the birds, and selected a real home — one of 
nature's homes for quail — situated in the center of a section of land one-half 
mile from any buildings, with a nice little cluster of shrubs, with spring of 
never-failing water, and surrounded by grain fields. We kept feed of wheat, 
barley and kaffir corn scattered about, and they would come every day for 
feed until about the first of March. We found the feathers of one and shortly 
after another, and then they left that part and came nearer my home; and 
we would see the balance occasionally until about May 1st, and they disap- 
peared and have not heard of them since. The ones you sent J. A. Roberts 
were on my farm awhile and left or were caught by hawks. 

In my opinion they are of a more roving disposition than our Bob Whites. 

Yours respectfully, 

D. A. HARDIN. 



Savannah, Mo., August 20, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir— Yours received yesterday, and I hasten to reply, and beg 
pardon for my not writing you sooner to report. 

Yes, I kept feed out this last winter for the Hungarian partridges, and 
•they did fine. I fed them chick feed (composed of millet, corn, etc.) 
3 think they are amply able to care for themselves under any ordinary cir- 
cumstances, unless a heavy sleet is on. Well, as spring came on, I seen them 
off and around on my place, and my neighbors seen them on theier premises 
also; but in June, Sunday, I heard a lot of shooting, and took a party with 
jme and went to see about it; they said they were hunting pigeons; but now 
I feel sure they killed my partridges, for I haven't seen them or heard from 
ifthem since. 

What are you going to do while there are unscrupulous people like that 
Sn the county, and you can't fasten the guilt on them, so you can go after 
them, which I would do, you bet, if I could get hold of them. 

I received the ring-necked pheasant eggs ; one broken ; left me fourteen ; 
iour hatched, and I saved one till it roosted in a tree along with a bantam 
2ien, and was doing fine till an owl caught it one night, with a bantam. They 
need not be fed at all, for they live mostly on bugs and worms and grass- 
hoppers. I could do fine here with them if I could get everybody to take 
same care and interest as I feel. 

Thanking you, I remain, 

Yours truly, 

S. R. MURPHY. 



Pacific, Mo., August 21, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your inquiry regarding the pheasants at hand. Wish to say 
that I followed your instructions to the letter and turned them loose as 
directed on the farm. Must say that I have been somewhat disappointed, as 
I have never seen them on the farm but once since they were loosed last 



55 

spring. I tried to find them with a bird dog, but was unable to find but three, 
and I couldn't tell if they were male or female. This summer three were 
seen on my neighbor's farm, but at that time saw no young ones with them. 
I am inclined to think that the males were killed in some way, or else there 
would be young broods. Do not think they are bad to migrate, as these 
were seen three-fourths of a mile from where they were liberated. I did not 
feed them, as you wrote me you preferred to let them shift for themselves, so 
as to ascertain if they would live that way. You also stated if they did not, 
you would try and send me more. I hereby request the second consignment, 
if agreeable. 

It is my opinion that either hawks or owls killed the male birds, which 
accounts for us not seeing any young ones; therefore, if I had another con- 
signment, they might all get together, thus insuring a larger increase. 

We have permitted no hunting of birds at any time since they were 
loosed, and my neighbors are equally interested in protecting them. We 
all want to get stocked up with game birds. If you can spare me more birds 
we all shall appreciate it very highly. 

The topographical character of our farms is typical of this section, and 
I can see no reason why such birds should not do well here. Thanking you 
again for your kindness, I remain, 

Yours truly, 

W. H. SMITH. 



Fayette, Mo., August 21, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your circular letter sent out to parties who have 
received pheasant and Hungarian birds from you will say, I have heard from 
only a few of the pheasants. They have been seen frequently in the neigh- 
borhood. One hen is now setting on a neighbor's farm one-half mile away. 
The Hungarian birds I have not seen since I liberated them. 

Yours truly, 

JOHN A. WOODS. 



Lamar, Mo., August 21, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Replying to your circular letter concerning the China pheasants 
and Hungarian partridges, which you shipped me last winter and this spring, 
early, will say, that we liberated the pheasants from the box in which they 
were sent in a timber pasture or tract that was heavily timbered and carrying 
considerable undergrowth, of about 80 acres, in which there was plenty of 
water and in all respects a perfect place'for these birds. We put out feed for 
a considerable time for them, and it was thought that they ate some of this 
feed. For two or three weeks after their liberation some of them were seen 
on the farm and on adjoining farms, but so far as I know none has been seen 
for the past four or five months. We think there was one nest on the farm 
batched some young ones, but we are not sure of this. The information was 
obtained from hands we had working in the field, and we think that this 
report is reasonably certain. 

When we received the Hungarian partridges, we built a cage about 8x12 
feet and four feet high, and confined them in this cage in a secluded part of 



56 

the timber for about ten days and fed them regularly in this cage, but they 
seemed quite restless, and did not do much good, and so we raised the cage 
gently and propped it up so they could escape under the frame quietly and 
left them to get out at their leisure, scattering grain in and about the cage 
and in the vicinity of the cage, but have never seen one of them since. This 
was the same timber tract in which we liberated the pheasants. During the 
summer you shipped us some pheasant eggs, 14 in number, I think. We set 
them under a hen and seven of them hatched. We at once confined them 
with" the hen in a tight cage, in our chicken yard, which is thickljy covered 
with small trees and shrubbery, and after about a week's confinement, five 
of them died, and we liberated the hen and the other two in the chicken yard, 
which was tight enough to confine the hen, but which allowed a small bird to 
go through. The hen was able to keep them tolerably under control 
for about a week, after which time they disappeared also, and the last seen 
of them they were in our vineyard adjoining the chicken yard, and we have 
not seen them since. We think they are all considerably migratory, but I 
am rather expecting to hear of more or less young birds, as well as the old 
ones during the fall. 

Yours truly, 

D. A. BEAMER. 



Columbia, Mo., August 21, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — It gives me pleasure to answer your favor of the 18th inst. 
I received from you, July, 1910, one dozen pheasants. The moment I looked 
at them I decided they were too young and inexperienced to combat the 
enemies they would be exposed to in the fields and forests. So I wrote you 
asking that I might keep them for two months in a large pen. You wrote me 
in reply "it would not do to keep them confined, even in a very large cage or 
pen." I thereupon took them down and turned them into fine cover — hazel 
bushes, sumac, blackberry bushes, rag weeds and adjoining oat fields and 
cow peas. 

I did not see them again until October 8th, when cutting a field of cow 
peas, the mower flushed two pheasants, which seemed pretty well grown, I 
should say twice as large as a quail. I made brush pens in six places in the 
cover where I turned the pheasants and kept them supplied with oats, sheaf 
and shelled, several bales of clover, some bundles of wheat and crushed 
corn during the winter. I did not see any of the pheasants during the winter, 
but in May, 191 1, I saw a full grown cock about one mile from the cover in 
which I liberated them. So much for the pheasants. 

In February, 191 1, I got one dozen Hungarian partridges and turned them 
into the same cover. Many of the original birds have been seen frequently 
on the farm where liberated and adjoining farms, though no coveys have been 
noticed. I think they did better than the pheasants. I found last April where 
one of the partridges has been caught by a hawk. 

My neighbor, Mr. W. L. Lyman, got two hens and one cock pheasant 
from you. He put them in a pen 20x30 feet and 6 feet high. They hatched 
a brood of seven, but the cock killed a number of them. Mr. Lyman set some 
eggs under a chicken hen. They hatched six, and he has now nine young 
pheasants the size of a full grown quail, or larger. I saw them yesterday. 
My opinion is the partridge will succeed better than the pheasants. 



57 

If you have them to spare, please send me a dozen or more of the part- 
ridges. I promise you to give them every care. 

The partridges are more migratory than the pheasants, I think. 

Very truly yours, 

C. B. ROLLINS. 



Ozark, Mo., August 19, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In the fall I received a crate of partridges and had them 
turned loose on the farm at Cassidy. They could be seen and heard all along 
and as they had the range of a corn field took care of themselves. They had 
the additional advantage of the barnyard and feed lots, but as they located 
themselves in an isolated part of the farm, where there is no passing, we 
have seen no young flocks of birds. Came across one that either had young 
or was setting, judging from the demonstration she made. In passing from 
Ozark to the farm I saw a flock of them, consisting of about 15 to 18, raise on 
James Anderson's place. I have heard of some being seen several times. 

The young pheasants I received a few days since have been seen several 
times near where they were turned loose. They have a splendid place for con- 
cealment. 

I hear of nice bunches of pheasants where the birds were received last 
spring, and see no reason why both varieties should not succeed well in this 
section, as it is certainly an ideal section for both kinds of birds. I hear 
some things that indicate that they will scatter to all parts as they progagate- 

I returned the crate a few days since. 

* Very respectfully, 

H. S. DAVIS. 



Gray Summit, Mo., August 20, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your letter inquiring about pheasants sent me in 1910 received. 
You ask, first, if I fed them through the winter of 1910-11. I did not, as I 
never saw them after I turned them out. They were in a wheat field adjoin- 
ing a wood lot, where stock was fed all winter, so had access to plenty of feed 
and water. 

2nd. Did they hatch any young in their wild stage? 

They did. I saw two coveys this summer. One contained eight young 
birds, but I only saw two of the second covey. They were very shy, and I 
only saw them as they hid in the grass. 

3rd. What do I know of those on my neighbor's premises? 

I have heard of birds being seen, but only single birds; not young ones. 

4th. Do I think they are bad about migrating? 

I do not. They are still on my own place near where they were liberated, 
and those seen by neighbors were very near us. 

The pheasants sent me are the English pheasants. 

Yours very sincerely, 

S. F. NORTH. 



58 

Oregon, Mo., August 19, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours of recent day to hand making inquiry as to the Hungarian 
partridges and trio of pheasants which you sent to me last spring. 

In reply to same would say that shortly after I received the partridges I 
liberated them in a nice woods pasture, with running water near by. We had no 
severe weather after they were liberated, and there is no reason why they should 
not have done as well as our native partridges. I am of the opinion that they all 
stayed together pretty well, as they have been seen two or three times since they 
were liberated, but have not learned whether or not they hatched any young. It 
has been a very dry season in Holt county, and the chances are that if they did 
hatch any young they reared them, as all of the surroundings were extra good 
for them. I think they stayed pretty close to where they were liberated, as they 
were seen about three weeks after in about a quarter of a mile of where they 
were turned loose. 

With reference to the pheasants, would say I kept the trio you sent me in a 
wire pen about 12 feet wide and 30 feet long, until the latter part of July. I put 
a number of boxes and a lot of old rubbish in the pen for them to roost on and to 
hide away. I tried very hard -to tame them, but without success. If they laid 
any eggs I did not find them, so I concluded to liberate them, and I turned them 
out and they flew to the woods pasture, just south of my home, where there is a 
thicket of underbrush and running water. About three weeks after that, my 
hired man saw them over in another field about one-half mile from these woods. 
Other than this I have not seen or heard of the pheasants since they were liber- 
ated. I would have liked very much to have raised some young ones, but could 
not get any eggs, and I thought it best to turn them loose. 

Assuring you to my best personal regards, I am 

Yours very truly, 

R. B. BRIDGEMAN. 



Cape Girardeau, Mo., August 19, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your circular letter regarding the pheasants you shipped 
me this August a year ago, the report I have to make is very unsatisfactory, as 
only one of the birds was seen, and that was killed last winter by a young boy, who 
took it for a chicken hawk. They either must have left the surroundings where 
they were liberated, or they are hard to find, or probably they were drowned, as 
the night after they were liberated we had a very heavy rain storm. 

I am very sorry that I cannot make a better report, and furthermore, the 
farmers in that locality are very anxious to get .a start and allow no hunting for 
any game on their farms and would well be protected. 

At any time you care to give the birds another chance in this locality you are 
at liberty to forward same to me, and they shall receive the best attention at my 
hands and be liberated to the best advantage of the birds. 

Very truly yours, 

ROBERT VOGELSANG. 



Albany, Mo., August 19, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your inquiry of recent date in regard to the Hungarian 
partridges which you shipped me last spring, will state that I received four pair 



59 

of these birds last March, which were liberated on land well watered and with 
sufficient cover. We had no bad weather after the birds were received, hence it 
was not necessary to feed them. They seem to be able to adapt themselves to 
their environment and to take care of themselves. On account of an abundance of 
favorable territory they seemed to scatter considerably. We were able to locate 
all the birds sent the first of June, but since that time have had rather poor suc- 
cess seeing them. However, there is one fine bunch of young birds in the imme- 
diate vicinity of where these birds were placed, and another good bunch near. 
The young birds are of good size and seem to be very thrifty. I think it quite 
possible that we will find more of these birds later on. Will report later. 

Yours truly, 

JAS. D. WAYMAN. 



Rock Port, Mo., August 18, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter of inquiry in regard to pheasants shipped me at hand. 
Will say that the pheasants were liberated, and a winter has passed since that 
time, yet they are occasionally seen on the farm. As to whether they have hatched 
and raised pheasants I cannot say. I believe, however, that they will do well in 
this country if hunters do not shoot them, and it would be a mighty small man 
who would do so purposely. I know they will never be disturbed on my farms 
and that, barring an unusually deep snow, they would find plenty to eat. I shall 
try and keep tab on these birds by making inquiry in the neighborhood in regard to 
them. 

I think you shipped me the English pheasants. 

Yours respectfully, 

H. F. STAPEL. 



Sparta, Mo., August 4, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I write you in regard to the birds which you sent me some time 
ago. They seem to be doing fine. I have quite a large farm with considerable 
timber, which is very dense. I have never been able to see all of them at one 
time since releasing them, but think they all raised young. I counted nine young 
ones with one hen. I have never allowed them to be frightened or bothered, and 
they seem to be perfectly at home. I thank you very much for them and request 
that you send me a few of different vaarieties as soon as you can do so. 

Yours very truly, 

J. W. FARMER. 



Kansas City, Mo., July 21, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Referring to the pheasants that you sent us to Noel, Mo., last fall, 
will say that quite recently we were able to make a count of some of this year's 
young ones and counted seventy-eight about the size of a quail. They were look- 
ing fine, and it is reasonable to suppose that there are other flocks that we have 
not seen. 



60 

The climate and environment of Noel seems to be ideal for these birds, and 
we are much pleased with the showing thus far. The only criticism we have for 
the birds are that they are too tame and seem to like to loaf around the domestic 
poultry. The citizens of that community seem to take a great deal of pride in the 
birds and I do not think will harm them in any way. 

We wish to thank you for your consideration of us in this matter. 

Very truly yours, 

A. L. LUDWICK, 
3033 Highland Ave. 



Clarksville, Mo., July 17, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I see by the papers that you have a number of pheasants and part- 
ridges for distribution. If not asking too much I would be glad to have a con- 
signment of partridges, promising in advance that they shall be well taken care of 
and protected. 

The pheasants sent me last year have just been heard from. They have 
raised some birds this season. My farmer reports quite a number of young birds 
have been seen, but the old ones are too shy to come in sight. Let me know if 
you can send me some partridges, and oblige 

Yours truly, 

J. O. ROBERTS. 



Ozark, Mo., July 18, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Thinking you would appreciate a report on the pheasants I had you 
ship my father and Mr. J. B. Garrison last fall, I am taking this advantage of 
writing you today. 

You will -remember that you shipped each four hens and two cocks. On 
arrival of the birds two were dead and, unfortunately, they were hens, and 
later three other hens were destroyed by the hawks, which left three hens out of 
the two shipments. 

I am reporting these together, as their farms are adjoining each other and 
the birds soon drifted together and have continued to live together ever since. 

They have kept close watch after the remainder of their birds and this morn- 
ing I was talking with Mr. Garrison and he told me that they have forty-three 
young pheasants about half grown, and all seem to be thrifty and doing fine. 
He expressed himself as being more than pleased at the prospect of having their 
farms well stocked next year with these birds, and firmly believes that the propa- 
gation of pheasants in Missouri is going to be a success. 

Very truly yours, 

CHAS. L, WALKER. 



Lincoln, Mo., June 14, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I will try and give you full report of my success with the pheasant 
since last season. The three pair of pheasants you sent me last season came through 
the winter in good shape. Two pair that I liberated the first of last July out on 



61 

our 640-acre farm have been very wild, seldom see them, while one pair that I 
liberated later, about 15th of last September, came back home and took up with 
ray chickens after being gone for about three months. They are as tame as my 
hens. I missed the hen about two months ago. She came back about two weeks 
;ago with eighteen young pheasants larger than quail, about two-thirds grown. 
She don't remain with my poultry, but we see her every few days. My neighbors 
saw her with her young long before I did. I think she will lay again this season, 
for she comes up without her brood and mates with the cock bird, as cock remain* 
with my hens in barnyard day and night, and is very tame and a beautiful bird. 
Out of the thirty eggs you sent me this spring I have hatched fifteen pheasants, 
now about a week old, doing fine. I set the eggs under two hens at same time ; 
both hens set good, yet one hen hatched all her eggs but one, while the other 
hatched but three under same conditions. I am more than pleased with my success 
and very proud of my hen pheasant and her brood of eighteen young, nearly 
grown, all healthy and in fine shape. This has been a good season for them. I 
may have more young out on farm, as haven't seen the two hens out there for 
some time. I think this section is just suited to the pheasarft. I will do my part to 
make a showing in pheasant raising for Missouri. 

Yours very respectfully, 

C. F. POHL. 



Helena, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I raised seven pheasants this year and have liberated them on the 
farm. 

The ones you sent me last year have either left the neighborhood or are good 
at hiding, as we have seen but one of them this summer. 

The partridges were seen often in the early part of the season, and two broods 
of young ones ivere on the farm, but I have not seen them lately. 

I am unable to say how much of a success they will be, but believe that it will 
succeed. Respectfully yours, 

JOHN SLADE. 



Slater, Mo., August 31, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear sir — Your letter received and noted. My pheasants have been seen on 
the farm. My partridges came out of the winter all right. A pair of my birds 
were seen in my orchard with some young birds. I put feed out for my birds, but 
from what I carij see they are well able to take care of themselves through the 
winter as well as the Bob Whites. I had eight birds. I can't tell how many young 
Ibirds have hatched from the birds we have. 

Respectfully, 

H. C. MEAD. 



East Rochester, N. Y., September 9, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your circular letter regarding pheasants and partridges received. 
The former were seen about for a time and some farmer boys told me they had 



62 

seen some of them with their young — but they are seldom seen and I can't tell 
what they are doing. The latter I have never heard of since they were liberated, 
and I doubt if I could tell them from our native quail. 

Pheasants here in New York are doing fine, and I often see them here at my 
sister's home. 

My brother-in-law tells me the first day of the open season (three years ago) 
there were 50,000 killed in the one day. They are a success here. 

Yours very truly, 

R. D. SILVER. 
Representative St. Charles County, Missouri/ 



Clarksville, Mo., September 2, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your inquiry regarding the pheasants, I wil say that I 
am not able to give as defirtite an answer as I could wish. 

I turned the six birds loose in a pine grove of about an acre, where shelter, 
feed and water were abundant. About forty rods away begin a series of wooded 
rocky knobs or hills. These extend around here for miles. We put out sheaf 
wheat in the pine grove, but after the first few weeks the wheat was undisturbed. 
One of the cocks visited a neighbor and got in the habit of feeding with his 
chickens and became quite a pet, but an old nigger killed him, and I came near 
killing the nigger. I have since heard of an occasional pheasant being seen at 
different places in the neighborhood, so that I am inclined to think that they are 
taking care of themselves. I have been wondering whether the one 'cock bird will 
be able to reach all of the hens in the breeding season if they are scattered far. 

I was quite well acquainted with pheasant culture in Scotland and England, 
and I can see no reason why they should not succeed here except for the want of 
protection. 

// the next Legislature is built like the last one I wish you ivould ask them to 
obliterate all our game laws, then we would surely get some protection. The last 
Legislature took much pleasure in doing the things you did not want done and in 
not doing those things that you did want done. 

Verily, they were wise men out of their generation. 

I would like to see a law forbidding the killing of quail for five years. 

Yours truly, 

JOHN HOWAT. 



Caruthersville, Mo., August 30, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter received in regard to the Hungarian partridges. They 
are doing fine and seem to be perfectly satisfied. I don't know how many young 
they have, but seems to be several coveys. / think so much of them I am protect- 
ing them very closely by not allowing any of my renters to hunt on the farm. I 
am putting in my contract with them to this effect. 

We never feed our birds, we have so much cover and feed for them they do 
not need it. They are as strong as the Bob White. I think they will cross with 
them and be a great benefit for our country. I don't think they are much of a bird 
to migrate, and will take care of themselves. I have only partridges and think 
they arc the bird for this country. 

Yours truly, 

C. L. CUNNINGHAM. 



63 

Lamar, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your circular letter of inquiry relating to pheasants and partridges 
to hand. 

A few days ago three hens and about twenty-five young pheasants appeared on 
edge of plozv land, young birds about size of quail. We have given these birds 
very little attention, feeding them whenever they came about the house. They had 
been kept about the house for several months before being liberated, hence stayed 
about close and fed with the chickens in bad weather. 

We appear to have some fifteen to eighteen young partridges from two hens. 
We had three pair of partridges ; one hen is gone. Both pheasants and partridges 
ore in the same immediate locality where released. Think the partridges much 
better bird, hardy and better able to take care of itself. 

Last season our pheasants did not increase. 

This is our first season with partridges, but think them a success. 

Yours truly, 

C. D. GOODRUM. 



Potosi, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours regarding the Hungarian partridges and pheasants received, 
and in reply will say that I received four pheasants of you and kept them in a pen 
until three iveeks ago. They were to have been three hens and one rooster, but 
they all layed and two of them set, and I set two chicken hens with their eggs, but 
none hatched. 

And one month ago I bought from a man here a male Chinese pheasant and 
turned with them, and as they were very gentle I leave the door open and they 
run out in the meadow and brush and come back to the pen at night to roost. 

The Hungarian partridges were very wild and don't know what they have 
done. They remained within two hundred yards of where I turned them loose for 
three months, or until the weeds and brush filled out, and they hide when they 
see any one and are hard to kick out. I found where an owl had eaten two of 
them, but the balance are on the place somewhere, but don't know yet what they 
have raised. Am well pleased with the Hungarian partridge, and think they are 
just the bird. I have a great many Bob Whites on my place and my man says he 
cannot tell which is which. 

Yours truly, 

J. W. SETTLE. 



Hermitage, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your recent inquiry, I received a coop of Hungarian 
partridges about the 1st of May this year and I liberated them in an orchard 
where the clover was fine and the could get water, but the left before nesting time. 
They flew across the river and have stayed there since. I think they will do well 
in this county, and believe they can easily live through the winter without being 
fed. Have not found any young broods yet. 

Yours very truly, 

ROSS COON. 



64 

Graham, Mo., August 28, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your inquiry of late date will say that I have not seen 
the birds since I liberated them. Several other parties have seen them and they 
seem to be getting along O. K. 

I turned them loose in a good place and will attend to them this winter if 
need be, but feed and cover are fine, and if it does not cover everything with 
snow they will not need very much protection. I have lots of quail on my farm 
and I think these birds are around close and will endeavor to locate them as soon 
as I have time, and will report what they have done in the way of raising their 
young. Respectfully, 

J. M. WILSON. 



Hopkins, Mo., August 31, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — As per your request, I will give you a report of my success witk 
the six pheasants I received from your department August — 19 10. I turned them 
loose at once on my farm, and they have been seen at different times on or near 
premises. Did not feed them during the winter, as there was always plenty of 
feed in the pasture where the cattle were fed on shock fooder with corn on. There 
was no snow on the ground to cover the feed. I have not been able to get sight 
of any of the young birds, but found where one brood had hatched out. Can't say 
as to their disposition to migrate, and am of the opinion that they are able to keep 
•out of the way of hawks or vermin as any other bird. 
Wishing your department success, I remain 

Yours truly, 

J. C. PISTOLE. 
Cashier F. & M. Bank. 



Rolla, Mo., August 28, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours of 22nd hist, to hand, and replying will say : Some time in 
July, 1910, I received six pheasants from your department. Then about August 1st 
I received six younger birds, also from your department (through Hon. A. P. 
Murphy). The latter were also pheasants, but much younger and smaller than 
the ones you sent direct to me. These birds were liberated at a spring in Slath's 
orchard, five miles southeast of Rolla. Not all let loose at same time, but as I 
received them. 

There was quite a lot of hairy vetch and buckwheat left standing over winter ; 
also, some cowpea pods where peas were too short to cut for hay and many pods 
lost through rake when they were cut for hay; also, some corn fields on place and 
some wheat and oat stubble adjacent. All of this made an abundance of feed and 
the spring supplied the water. Hedge fences along road and through the orchard 
made good cover, and the birds take care of themselves in every way. One of 
them got out in an open meadow and was caught by a hawk and one was killed by 
a dog. This happened soon after they were liberated, and the loss was among 
the younger birds in both cases. This season I have heard from and seen as fol- 
lows : Twelve young birds and two old hens in one bunch along old hedge fence 
adjoining orchard. Seven young birds and one hen one-half mile southeast of 
orchard, along deep brushy hollow. Nine young birds and one hen one and one- 



65 

half miles east of orchard on banks of Dry Fork creek in wheat field. One hen 
setting in hollow one-fourth mile north of orchard. Two hens and one cock seen 
near spring where liberated. So you see they are nearly all accounted for and 
none of them over one and one-half miles from where they were liberated. 

The birds were not fed, because with the supply of feed available in fields, 
I thought would be unnecessary. They have proved capable of caring for them- 
selves in every way, and they do not seem to migrate. Have always found them 
with bird dog in a radious of one and one-half mile of where they were turned 
loose. The young birds fly everywhere. Swift on wing as a pigeon and hide 
like a young quail. They will not lay long for a dog. They fly from two to four 
hundred yards, then run like a turkey, keeping under cover as best they can. 

You can never find them when they light. Dog will often trail from one to 
five hundred yards. I believe some of the hens have set a second time, yet it may 
be that some of the last bunch liberated were late about setting, as they were 
younger birds. 

Believe me, the pheasant is a success and should be reared extensively. The 
birds you sent me this season are O. K., and will soon be as wild as the wild 
pheasant, of which there are quite a few where I turned the last lot of pheasants 
loose. Yours truly, 

S. J. HEATON. 



Clinton Mo., August 22, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your circular letter asking information as to progress of the birds 
sent out, received. 

I shall be down at my farm soon, and will then go over the matter with the 
man in charge, and will then take pleasure in writing you all the information pos- 
sible. 

I got only the Hungarian partridges. It was our impression, earlier in the 
season, that they are probably not as good hustlers as the Bob White, and we 
thought that perhaps it would be better if you would not send them out until 
mating time in the spring. They seem to nest right out in the open in the middle 
of the field, and are in much more danger from hawks and owls. 

There was plenty of water and feed on my place, and plenty of brush and 
shelter, but they seemed to stay in the open. 

Very truly, 

JAS. L. ELLISTON. 



St. Joseph, Mo., August 22, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter to me was received. Since its receipt Mr. Robert 
George of this county has handed me a letter which he had received from you con- 
cerning the same matter. He has asked me to answer his letter with mine. 

You sent me eight pheasants. I turned them over to Mr. George, who lives 
on a beautiful farm near St. Joseph. He is greatly interested in such things and 
I knew that he would take better care of them than I would take. He fed the 
pheasants until the last of March, when he liberated them. He tells me that they 
are still on the place and that he sees them quite often. One has disappeared, but 
he has seven, two roosters and five hens left. He wrote you and got some part- 
No. 1—5 



66 

ridges. These came in the spring and he did not keep them in, captivity but re- 
leased them at once. He has seen them several times since. He reports that he 
has seen no young, either with the pheasants or the partridges. 

If you desire to send any other birds into this county I believe you could 
send them to no person who would take as good care of them and enjoy propagating 
them as much as Mr. George. He has his farm posted and his neighbors have 
permitted him to post their land also, so that the birds have a large territory, 
consisting of grain farms and wood pastures, in which they are protected. 

Yours truly, 

CHAS. H. MAYER. 



Green City, Mo., September 14, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Yours of recent date at hand. In reply cill say the pheasants 
you sent me came through the winter all O. K. I did not feed them at all. 
They had a corn field and several ricks of millet, where they fed. Then there 
was several brush thickets and a large field of wild grass, where they stayed 
and where they nested this summer. As near as I can tell I have somewhere 
between thirty and forty young birds, and they are growing nicely. I found 
them able to take care of themselves fully as well as the quail and other wild 
birds around here. I turned my birds loose near the center of a section of 
land, and as far as I know they have never been off the section on which 
they were turned loose. They have good shelter and always plenty of feed 
and water. Of course, if there is a heavy snow or sleet I always see there is 
feed where they can get it. 

Yours truly, 

M. J. COCHRAN. 



Eldorado Springs, Mo., September 11, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your letter of the 18th ult. received. About the quail you sent 
me, I liberated them on my farm. They seemed to be all right, and I saw 
them quite often; but we have had a severe drouth in this section of country. 
Have not seen any of them since about the 20th of May. It is my opinion 
they migrated on account of extreme dry weather. 

I was well pleased with the birds, and was in hopes they would get 
acclimated and do well here, and believe they would had it not been so dry. 

I was talking Jo my neighbor, W. S. Pence, who also received a coop of 
birds from you. He says he has not seen any of them since about the middle 
of May, this year. 

How about the pheasants; will there be any for distribution this fall? 

Yours truly, 

JOHN BROWN. 

R. F. D. No. 6, Eldorado Springs, Mo. 



Monroe City, Mo., September 12, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton ate Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — 1 n ret to say that I had forgotten to answer your letter 
till now. 



67 

I never saw the hen pheasants after turning out. Saw the male often, 
and he died during winter from some cause unknown to me. 

There is little cover on my land for game. 

I know of about three or four coveys of young pheasants on neighboring 
land (about 25 birds to the covey). 

I also received four pair of the Hungarian partridges. They paired off 
at once, and seemed able to take care of themselves, as they are very swift 
on wing. 

Have only heard of a few young birds. I found one nest in my meadow 
containing six eggs, but the old bird did not return to the nest after the grass 
was mown. 1 

Will be glad to give you further information later, if able to do so. 

Very truly yours, 

J. C. HARDY. 



Clinton, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 

Dear Sir — In answer to your inquiry the 18th inst. I will give you all the 
information I know regarding the Hungarian partiridges. When I set them 
at libertty one evening just about dark, I opened the opening on the cage, 
where required, and left them alone. And at the same time I put some feed 
on the outside, such as kaffir corn, cane seed and chop corn, mixed, and I 
notitced next day as they came out and was eating on the outside. I kept 
that feeding up for about two months; and I noticed they always came back 
in the evenings to their roosting place along side of a hay stack, where 
we were feeding them. But later on they disappeared, and we did not see 
them so often. I think they can make their own living now. 

In regard to the young partridges, I am safe to say as I saw from six to eight 
young ones in a bunch. If any are on my neighbor's premises I don't know. In 
my opinion the birds are not very bad to migrate, if they are not disturbed 
very much; at least mine didn't, because we are proud of them and took care 
of them. I believe they are able as well as any other birds to take care of 
themselves. That is all the information I can give you at the present. 

Yours truly, 

R. R. 6. J. M. KOCH. 



McGee, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — I received your letter of recent date, and will reply to same. 
I received some Hungarian quails early last spring, which remained here till 
the last of May, and haven't been seen since. We have heard of some about 
seven miles from here where there hasn't been any sent, and we suppose it is 
some that have migrated. I believe they are worse than the native quail to 
migrate. I think they are as able to take care of themselves from hawks, 
owls and other vermin as the other quails. 

We scattered wheat for them when first liberated, but believe they are 
able to make a living for themselves in this climate. 

We received some English pheasants the first of this month in good 
order and started crate back today. The game and Ash law is violated here almost 
daily, and as we have a good deal of game in this part, it would be a good idea 



68 

■to have a deputy located in these parts if possible, as your deputy has failed to do 
any work in this region. I will close. I remain, 

Yours as ever, 

T. C. McGETE. 



Fair Play, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Having received your letter making inquiries concerning the 
Hungarian partridges which I received in February, 191 1, I will gladly give 
you what information I can. I liberated the birds soon after their arrival, 
^and they left my premises, and I had no chance to feed them. Two of them 
died. One was badly crippled when liberated. I do not know the cause of 
the other one dying. There is one covey on my premises that I presume there is 
between twenty and thirty birds. There's another small one on a neighbor- 
ing farm; some I know nothing of; but one pair have never hatched any 
young ones. I do not consider them bad to migrate. I do not know whether 
they are able to take care of themselves against hawks and owls or not. 
/ think when they become accustomed to the places they are as able to take care 
&f themselves as the Bob Whites. 

Respectfully, 

JOHN T. FOX. 
P. S> — If you are sending out any pheasants, I would be glad to receive 
lome. 



Quincy, Mo., August 25, 19TT. 
jfesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — You sent me three pheasants December, 1910. / kept them in coop 
<&nd set eggs under chicken hens. They laid about 80 eggs, but the weather being 
.-.so hot and dry, only the first eggs hatched. / raised twelve ; lost several, some by 
■fiawks and others by vermin; none died. They are three-fourths grown now and 
-very tame. They stay around my place. Range off one-half of a mile. Come 
in my house to be fed; run with chickens, and roost with chickens. I shall 
Jieed and protect them this winter. They are great rustlers. 

The old ones you sent me I turned loose the last of July, 191 1. They 
stayed around three or four days. Is the last I have seen of them, as I live in 
•the timber. They have a good place to hide. / think they will do fine here, as I 
t do not allow any hunting on my place, and have not for twenty years. I will 
give them protection. / have quite a lot of wild turkeys and quail on my place 
gimply by keeping off fellows who hunt all the year round and hardly ever do a 
day's work. Thanking you for the birds you sent me, I am 

Yours truly, 

J. J. BROWN. 



Carrollton, Mo., September 4, 191 1. 

[Dear Sir — In receipt of your letter of August 24, 1911, I will state I've 

1>een raising China or English ring-neck pheasants for seven or eight years, 

burning them loose each year. I hear of them this season scattered for ten 

voiles .each way from my farm. Also heard of broods of young ones hatched in 



69 

their wild state. They seem to be able to take care of themselves equally as wei'f 
as the Bob White and other birds. I have never attempted to feed them in 
their wild state, except in the winter of 1910 and 'ir, during the deejp snows, 
I fed them and the Bob Whites for a few days. You have never' sent me 
any pheasants. I have bought mine and have raised them without any as-- 
sistance of the State. 

You sent me eight Hungarian partridges last winter, which I did not 
liberate until about the middle of March, which I've frequently seen on the 
farm. I've seen one large flock of young ones hatched this season, and have 
heard of others. I regret very much to see some editors making light of the 
State attempting to stock the State with game birds, as it does not cost the 
taxpayer one cent, as all expenses are paid by license issued to sportsmen? 
for the privilege of hunting. 

I asked Mr. Harry James if he could not get mc a couple of female 
pheasants to put with my male, the weasels having got. into my pen, killing: 
the hens I kept to raise from. 

Yours very truly, 

JAMES GOODSON, 

Carrollton, Mo., Route No. i, Box 24. 



Nevada, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In compliance with your request I will give you all information 
I have concerning pheasants I received from you. I received these birds in 
fall of 1910 and liberated them in a good cover of underbrush, with an abund- 
ance of natural feed, and owing to the mild and open winter we had there 
was no time when it was necessary to feed them. The birds migrated very 
little, and at this time there is a bunch of eight (a motherland seven young) with" 
in a very short distance of where they were liberated about a year ago. / have not 
seen the entire number since they were liberated, but owing to the dense cover, they 
are hard to get sight of. 

Respectfully, 

, A. L. ANCHORS. 



Mercer, Mo., September 17, igif, 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.; 

Dear Sir — I liberated one pair of pheasants in September, 1910.' They 
wintered nicely with but little care. They are better rustlers than the quair., 
because of their size and strength. 

In the early spring my pheasants left me, going south. The last I heard 
of them they were about six miles south. This was in April. I have been 
unable to hear anything of them since. Do not believe they nested in this- 
vicinity. 

I believe they are capable of caring for themselves against vermin or^ 
other enemies. 

It was not for the want of cover or water or feed that caused my feic<fo»" 
to desert. 

Thanking you for past favors^ I am 

E. F. McKINNEYl 



70 

Mora, Mo., September 12, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter, will say that I can't give you much 
information of the pheasants you sent me. I fed them through the winter; 
gave them liberty in March. They stayed on my premises for awhile, and 
my neighbors, who Saw them flying around there, were tickled about those 
fine birds. The pheasants left me and went into the big timber about seven miles 
west from my place. I inquired about the pheasants in that neighborhood 
and was told that there was pheasants with young ones. 

I am sorry that I can't give you more information in regard to your 
letter. 

Very respectfully, 

CHARLES SCHWENSEN. 



Reeds Spring, Mo., September 9, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — I received the Hungarian partridges all O. K., and I thank you 
very much for the favor, but am sorry to say I had poor luck with them. 
1 liberated the birds as directed and fed them. I saw where one was killed 
by a hawk, and heard of one about three miles from my farm. The last I 
ever saw or heard of them was in oat-sowing time. I saw three on my farm. 
They had plenty of feed and water all winter and spring and plenty of cover. 

Yours truly, 

R. H. SHARP. 



Butler, Mo., September 10, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir— In your letter received some time back making inquiry about 
the Hungarian quail you sent me last February or March will say they 
paired off; but just how many young they raised I can't say. Two of them 
flew against the wire and were killed. They have plenty of shelter, such as 
buck brush, sumac and bunches of berry, oak and hazel. They have had 
access to plenty of feed all the time. One of my neighbors said he seen 
about twelve or fifteen young at one time. 

When the frost kills the vegetation, so I can see them, I will write you again. 
Would like very much to try a few pheasants if you have them to spare. 

Yours very truly, 

W. HUBBARD. 



Marquand, Mo., September 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I am sending you as much information as I can about the 
Hungarian quails. I found one pair that has nine young ones; that is all I can 
locate so far. It is hard to find them, as there is so much grass and weeds 
on the place. 

I feed them during the rough winter. I would have to throw the feed in 
the crossing, as they went from one field to the other. They are so wild, I 



71 

couldn't get near them. They are on my farm, and think they will stay here 
all right. 

I don't think they are any more apt to be caught by hawks and varmints than 
any other birds. 

I would like very much to have some of those pheasants. I spoke to G. 
B. Cook to see if you would send me some of them. I have got one of the 
finest places to raise birds in this country. I raise corn, oats and wheat, so 
the birds you send me shall not go hungry. I have a large farm of 285 acres 
and plenty of water. 

I will certainly protect and look after any of the birds. Thanking you 
for your favor, I am, 

Yours truly, 

J. M. COZEAN. 



Clark, Mo., August 26, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Have received your notice in regard to the pheasants and 
Hungarian partridges which I have received from you to turn them out in the 
neighborhood last fall (1910). After keeping them in enclosure for about ten 
days, at night I left the door open, so they would walk out of their own will. 
Have kept the enclosure open all of the time. They came in and went away 
as they pleased. This way I got them used to the place and fed them off and 
on nearly whole winter. Early in the spring I did not see them so often, but 
they came to be fed and in bad weather to seek a shelter. When mating sea- 
son came only sometimes, and in pairs did they come. Later on and till now 
I have inquired about them all over, and I believe I have them all located 
and know of them pretty thoroughly. They are distributed in a half circle of 
about from three-fourths of a mile from my house to six miles, and each 
couple has from eight to fourteen young birds, which I saw Sunday evening, 
August 13th. They were only about half of a mile from my house. So, all 
told, I believe we have about forty young birds in our neighborhood. Only 
one bird I saw early in the spring, where I thought the same came to his 
death by starvation, or disease, for no injury of any kind I found on him. 
The one setting egg's, which I got from you, did not do so well, and I think 
the shaking up they received in transportation is responsible for it. Only 
six hatched; of these three contracted white diarrhoea; in treating them, two 
died; so only four left. Then one night hen tramped one to death. The re- 
maining three lived until separated from hen. When for about a week or ten 
days I saw them only at feeding time regular. Now, about two weeks or so, 
they have failed to come up. I guess they formed an acquaintance with the 
ones on the outside, and remained with them. 

The partridges are doing even better, for in one covey, crossing the road, 
I saw about thirty in it. From time to time I am going out with my dog and 
trail them, so I will know all about them, where they stay and how they 
prosper. 

In conclusion, I will say that this move is a good one to replenish the 
country with such fine game birds, if only kept up for some time; we would 
have plenty. Then, again, great deal lies in the enforcement of the game law. 
In regard to that, I would suggest the prohibiting of using pump and auto- 
matic guns in toto for hunting. Then a deputy warden, a stranger in the 
country, staying about a week or two in a place, to find out all about the 
law breakers, for we have them, especially here. They are so bold that one 



72 

of them has said that he would shoot one of them even if he had to pay fifty- 
dollars. And in this instance, I would sooner imprison a lawbreaker than put 
a fine on him. As this stigma (a jail bird) they would not stand as well and 
honorably as paying a fine. It is a shame. I will do all I can to stop this 
law breaking and slaughtering the game. 
With best wishes and success, I am, 

Very truly yours, 

Dr. L. A. BAZAN. 



South Greenfield, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Yours of recent date at hand. Will say in answer about the 
pheasants received from you I liberated them as soon as received in a quiet, 
out-of-the-way place, where there was plenty of shelter, feed and running 
water. One pair remained there through the season and raised about fifteen young 
pheasants. There was one pair moved about three miles. I have asked the man 
to keep tab on them and protect them. Their habits are similar to the Bob 
White, except they only call through the mating season and in laying season. 

I don't think hawks are as bad for them as they are for quail, for they 
stay in seclusion more. I believe their migratory habits are about the same 
as quail; but the male does not remain close to the hen in the hatching season 
as with the quail. I see the male every few days, but seldom see the hen 
and her brood. The young grow very fast from the appearance. I liberated 
six in November, 1910, and only one pair remained on the premises this sea- 
son, I believe. They will need protection from hunters for some years yet, if 
we ever get a good start, for they are so anxious to see them and get at them. 
I am, 

Very truly yours, 

ALBERT COX. 



South Greenfield, Mo., August 24, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Will you please send me notices to post on my premises that 
pheasants have been released? I will post them in very public places, as I 
am anxious to protect them and get a good number in my locality. 

If you can send me a few Hungarian partridges I will do my very best 
to protect them and get them started in this part of the State. 

Any information I may get in the future in regard to the pheasants I 
will be glad to give for publication. 

Respectfully, 

ALBERT COX. 



Galena, Mo., September 2, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your recent letter is at hand inquiring about the Hungarian 
partridges you sent me. I quitely liberated the eight you sent me and have not 
fed them any since. There is a covey of about twenty young birds with two old 
birds that don't seem to have gone more than thirty rods from the place where they 



73 

were liberated. In mowing alfalfa the out end of the cutting bar went through 
a nest full of egg's and broke every one before I knew it was there. There 
were probably 12 to 15 eggs in the nest. There might be other partridges on 
the place, but these are near the house, and all that I have seen 1 . There 
are two of the old ones on an adjoining farm about 80 rods from where they 
were liberated. These do not seem to be bad to migrate, and I think are 
as able to take care of themselves and seem in habits to be very much like 
the Bob Whites, of which we have a good many. They are harder to see, 
and seem shyer than the Bob White, but we have thought if we had kept them 
confined and fed them for a few days they would have become quite tame. 
We don't allow hunting on the place, and don't want these nor the quails 
killed in season or out. Will you kindly tell me just what the law is and what zve 
must do to protect these birds, for we have been told, "If you don't eat them we 
will." Respectfully yours, 

A. G. CLARK. 



Butler, Mo., September 13, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter of recent date I cannot give you any 
valuable information in regard to the pheasants that I received last year. I 
frequently see them. Five is all that seem to be left since last winter. 

During a severe cold spell last winter in the morning they would come to 
an old oat straw stack and sit on the sunny side for about two hours, and as 
soon as it began to get warm enough for them they would run along the 
hedges and pick weed seed, and if they could find an ear or corn that I put 
out for them, they would certainly get every grain of it before they left. I 
have seen them with a number of quail several times. They seem to run- 
rather than fly. They run very fast when they are frightened by dog or 
vermin of any kind. 

I think the pheasant will live where the quail or prairie chicken can live. 

Have seen only one young pheasant, but think while there is one there 
must have been more hiding in the grass. They seem to stay along hedges 
most of the time. If there is plenty of water, they seem to be satisfied to stay 
almost in one field. This is all I can tell 3 r ou this time. 

Yours truly, 

J. G. CARROLL. 



Noel, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In regard to the Hungarian partridges and pheasants you sent 
me will say that I did not feed them any during the winter of 1910-11, as they 
seemed plenty able to care for themselves. 

The pheasants Iwtched and raised a good brood, in fact, I think some of the 
largest broods I ever saw. I think tltere are about fifty on my farm, and probably 
fifty on each of the farms adjoining me (I mean on two sides of me). The pheas- 
ants I think are all within one mile of the place they were liberated. I have 
not seen any partridges since late spring, but they are possibly in the woods.. 
I think they are able to take care of themselves as well as the Bob White, 
both in winter and summer. 

Yours very truly, 

L. H. PERRY. 






74 

Slater, Mo., September 7, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — In accordance with your request I am writing again to let 
you know the result of our attempt at raising pheasants this summer. 
The hen of which I wrote you, raised her eight little ones and they are now fine, 
half-grown birds. She herself sickened and died this summer. We were quite 
sorry to lose her. 

We have also ten or more little pheasants some weeks younger, from eggai 
given us by Mr. Storts, hatched from under chicken hens. 

In regard to the variety of these birds settting in captivity: If you re- 
member, I wrote you a year ago concerning those we purchased from Kansas 
City, of one coming off her nest with ten chicks and the other with five, and 
how they were destroyed by the cock. These afterward made their escape to 
the country. 

We as yet know little of those you sent us to be liberated on the farm. 
Some of them have been glimpsed once or twice. 

I find my little experience in pheasantry certainly quite interesting. 

Very truly, 

MRS. ROBT. T. JENKINS. 



Clarksville, Mo., August 26, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Replying to recent circular, the birds you sent me were pheas- 
ants — Chinese ring-necked pheasants I think they were called. The place 
where they were liberated made ideal cover for them, and they did well until 
the shooting season opened, when the pot hunters and boys got most of them. 
The place was too close to town, I think. 

One of the birds has been seen several times recently with a bunch of 
quail. 

Mrs. Russie E. Guy, who has a considerable farm some ten miles south 
of this place wants me to get her a few of these birds. If you send them 
you can make shipment to me here and I will send them out. It would be a 
good place for them — better than here near town. 

Very truly, etc., 

EDWARD N. MOODY. 



Lamine, Mo., August 28, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter at hand. You sent me three pair of pheasants. They 
seem to do as well as the quail. I didn't feed them last winter, but saw them at 
the feed lot several times. They are all wild in the timber. I haven't seen but one 
pair this spring, and this pair has (12) tzvclve young ones in their flock. They are 
about grown; I see them quite often. I think they will do fine in this part of the 
country. I have a fine place for them. They stay in the brush most of the time. 
This flock of birds looks good to me. Only wish I had more. 

Yours truly, 

A. R. SCHUSTER. 



75 

Garden City, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours at hand and will say that in February, 1911, just before 
the last big snow, I received from you five pair of Hungarian partridges. I had 
had turned them loose before the snow, but fed them until the snow went off. 
They scattered around over adjoining farms and, owing to the vegetation, / have 
been unable to know of only one pair that came off with sixteen young birds. 

My neighbors do not permit hunting on their land and take as much interest 
as I in caring for the partridges. I do not think they wander away, farther than 
the native quail. 

After the frosts come they will be more easily found than now. 

I have a neighbor near that has an ideal farm 'for pheasants — Mr. James Her- 
rington. He is anxious for some. 

Yours, 

A. L. GRAVES. 



Cairo, Mo., September 2, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I got (6) six of your pheasants last fall and turned them out in 
about three days after I got them home. I turned them out in the feed lot of 
about 20 acres of land. There was a thicket of brush in it, and they stayed close 
around there, for I fed in that pasture all the time. 

/ had txventy-seven young birds hatch that I knozv of; you can't find the young 
ones very often. The hen birds are very sneaking. I don't think these birds will 
leave here, that is, this neighborhood. / hear of them from home from one to two 
and one-half miles. 

Tliey hatched their young close to home. There are two hens. I think one of 
my hens died last fall. I think they can take care of themselves as well as the 
quail, and as to the hawks, I think better. My old birds are fine ones, you bet; 
the young ones are two-thirds grown. 

Yours truly, 

A. L. BENNETT. 



Pittsville, Johnson Co., Mo., 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your request about the Hungarian partridges we got 
this spring : We turned them loose as soon as we got them. We found one nest 
with tzventy-one eggs in it, and- they all hatched by the looks of the shells, but 
we never have seen any of the young ones yet. The old birds are still here yet. 
I don't think they will be bad to migrate where they have plenty water and brush 
to hide in. I don't believe the hawks and owls will catch them any worse than 
.they do the Bob Whites. We got some pheasants from you in June; they are do- 
ing all right. They come back every day and eat wheat out of a chicken coop we 
have fixed for them. This has been a hard year on birds, it has been so dry and 
hot. We believe these partridges and pheasants will be a success. 

Respectfully, 

CRAIG BROS. 

P. S. : — Please send me one of your pamphlets when you get them done. 



76 

Higginsville, Mo., August 29,. 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your inquiry about game birds, will say the pheasants 
were a failure with me. Kept them in a 6 feet by 8 feet cage for three months ; 
they were wild; did no good, and I turned them out; cocks became separated 
from hens. I have never seen a young one. The quail acted nicely; paired off in 
spring; found where one had hatched fourteen eggs; found another setting on nine 
eggs, but she was killed, and I think the party who killed her has left the county 
and I think the State. The other quail located near by, but only two nests were 
found. These quail acted about as our Bob White, and seem adapted to this 
locality, and I believe will be as much at home here as our Bob White. I re- 
ceived six pheasants recently from you and turned them out in a wooded pasture 
joining plenty of feed and water. Have not seen them since. I fed my quail last 
Miarch, and will see that they winter all O. K. 

/ am a Lafayette county democrat, and endorse your action in your attempf 
to stock the State with game and fish, and hope you will not again be hampered by 
petty politics and petty politicians. Keep your good work going. I hope the peo- 
ple will support you and believe they will. 

Thanking you for favors aud hoping you success, 

I am 

J. G. WEBB. 

P. S. — Caught five bass this a. m., weighing eight pounds. 



Mayview, Mo., August 27, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear .Sir — I received your letter of recent date and in reply will say I received 
four pair of Hungarian partridges. They arrived here all right and the ground 
was covered with snow at the time, so I turned them loose in a vacant house un- 
til the snow went off, then I let them out. They stayed around the premises sev- 
eral days before they mated, then they scattered out and I have not seen any of 
them for some time. There is one. pair on an adjoining farm with sixteen (16) 
young birds, and I heard of another pair yesterday on another farm with fourteen 
(14) young. I have not been able to see or hear of the others. 

Respect fully, 

W. C. KEITH. 



Lentner, Mo., August 28, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In answer to yours of recent date, will say I received four pair of 
Hungarian partridges from the department, as stated, but received them this spring, 
therefore did not have to feed through the winter. 

I turned them loose in a fine place and only saw them three times since. They 
were four together the first time and the last time had paired off in twos. The 
last seen of them they were about one-half mile from where I turned them loose. 

Since then owe pair, with fourteen young ones, were seen about three miles 
from there. They seem to be great to wander off, but fully able to rustle for them- 
selves. As for hawks, owls, etc., think they are equal to the Bob White or most 
any other bird of our section. 

The only trouble I can see is their disposition to migrate, yet as long as they 



77 

remain in the State all will be well. I do not think there are any on my premises 
now, but some close by. These are about the facts in the case as I see them now. 
In this connection would like to ask you to send me a copy of the new game 
law as now in force, and oblige 

H. S. CARROLL. 



Ozark, Mo., R. No. 2, Box 77, August 29, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Received your inquiring letter about the birds sent me. I received 
four pair Hungarian quail. I did not have to feed them any, and they seem to 
require such seed as our native quail. My son took one pair of them home with 
him and turned them loose in his orchard. He found that pair this summer with 
eighteen young ones. They don't migrate very far. They seem to stay pretty near 
the place where they were turned loose. 

/ never have seen the bunch of young ones on my place, but found one of the 
young in the Held that had gotten lost from the rest, so I brought it to the housA 
and my zvife put it with an old hen and chickens and it made the greatest pet you 
ever saw. They protect themselves against hawks, owls and other vermin about 
the same as our quail do. 

Respectfully yours, 

S. H. POPE. 



Clinton, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Your letter of the 18th inst. received all O. K. 

In regard to those birds I can not tell you how they would go through the 
winter, as I fed those birds I got all winter. 

They left my place, some one-fourth mile, some one-half mile, from where I 
put them. There are two coveys of them. They have from thirteen to fourteen 
little ones apiece. There are two coveys on the prairie along the hedge fence on 
my neighbor's land, and the other two pair went in the timber. I have not seen 
them since May, those in the timber. As far as I know those Hungarian quail are 
as well able, if not better, to take care of themselves against hawks and other 
vermin as our Bob White. 

Mr. Tolerton, I received eight Hungarian quail. 

After a while I will be more able to give you more information, and wjll be 
glad to do so. I think they would be more able to protect themselves from hawks 
and other vermin than from the gun, as I understand. I have no way of protect- 
ing them, 

Very respectfully, 

W. L. CONVERSE. 



Mineral Point, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir— In reply to yours will say I received six pheasants from you ; two were 
very small. I liberated them the day received, three on each farm, one-half^ mile 
apart. On one farm they came near the house to roost for eight or ten nights, 



78 

and then next heard from was on adjoining farm only two. Since have been un- 
able to locate them. 

The other three showed up at intervals last winter. This spring, last June, 
were seen one old with seventeen young on the same place turned them out ; 
seem to be tolerable tame. Were not fed any time after ten days. Seem to be 
able to take care of themselves. The only danger is the hunter. I believe would 
be best to confine them a week or so after receiving to get them used to location. 

Thanking you for past favors, am 

Very truly yours, 

H. WALTON. 

P. S. : — If you will send me some Hungarian partridges I will liberate part at 
once and confine part awhile. H. W. 



Ste. Genevieve, Mo., September i, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I received four pair, eight Hungarian partridges, last fall. Have a 
splendid 300-acre farm where the Bob White have been doing well. I turned the 
partridge among a nice field of underbrush and plenty of water, fed them twice 
last winter and about two months ago I saw a female partridge and seven young 
ones with a Bob White male, crossing the road. Am not allowing any hunting on 
my property. Haven't been over my property to look after the quail this year. 
My farm hand tells me that he saw a covey of about twelve young; he thinks that 
they were partridges. Will let you know later if they hatched well. 

Respectfully, 

ANDREW WILDER. 



Platte City, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Replying to yours of recent date have this to say. Some time in 
February I received five (5) pair of Hungarian partridges. On arrival there was 
a heavy sleet, on the ground. I put them in a runway I had and fed them for 
three (3) weeks and then liberated them. They remained in and around my 
orchard and ravines till in May, when they disappeared and never have seen them 
since. Have heard of only one covey of young this season, and Allen Hewlett of 
Platte county, saw them. There were twenty-one of them. 

I think them perfectly able to stand our winters equally with the "Bob White." 

Respectfully yours, etc., 

THOMAS G. COCKRILL. 



Montrose, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter will say that I believe that the pheasants are 
able to care for themselves, but I believe they are inclined to migrate or rove 
around. I didn't get but one cock, and it seems that mated with only one hen 
and the rest scattered and have been seen four miles from where I turned them 
loose. The one that mated with cock raised a brood, but I haven't any idea how 
many, as they took to the brush and seem to be very wild. They feed through the 
winter with my stock; I had a timbered pasture that I fed in through the winter. 
When winter comes again I may be able to see them again. 



79 

It is hard to tell just what did become of all of the birds, as there had been 
-some liberated in this neighborhood before, as Mr. C. M. Clark turned a private 
flock loose just three miles from me this summer. I believe that the best way to 
get the birds started in a neighborhood would be to keep them in captivity until 
spring and then turn them loose. If I could get some more birds I would follow 
that plan and see how it works. I have a fine place for them, a very thick tim- 
bered pasture. 

Wishing you success with your birds of all kinds, 

Yours truly, 

CHAS. J. HOLLAND. 



Warrensburg, Mo., August 27, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter of the 22nd concerning the birds you sent 
me will say the pheasants you sent me did no good, I fear. I never saw but one 
of them after turning them out. That was early in November. A full-grown cock 
of fine plumage got up and flew quite a distance to the timber. One of my neigh- 
bors reported one, a hen, running with his chickens for a while. / am afraid the 
hunters got them, although I don't allow hunting on the place. My corn fed cattle 
run all over the pastures and timber lots during the winter where these birds were 
turned loose. We frequently saw quail among the cattle, but no pheasants. There 
was plenty of water and shelter. I didn't get any quail. If I could get another 
trial would try turning them with my chickens, as they roam a good ways from the 
building. 

Thanking you for past favors, I am 

Yours truly, 

J. H. BAILE. 



Paris, Mo., September 3, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In regard to the pheasants you sent me I have not seen them since 
the 10th of April. They were all right then; they went through the winter and 
spring all right, but I think they have gone to the timber. If I see them later on I 
will write you. Yours very truly, 

J. R. MURPHY, 
R. F. D. No. 4. 



Shelbina, Mo., August 24, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — The birds you sent have not been seen on my farm since the latter 
part of November or the first of December. Have heard of one or two on farms 
adjoining. Have not been able to hear of one young. If any one killed or shot at 
them we did not hear of it. Know of one pair on a farm about three or four 
miles from where I turned them out. I think I have a fine plaace for the propa- 
gation of the birds — woods along on both sides of a creek, open land in pasture 
and crops each way from the creek. Would be pleased to try it again if you think 
it best to send the birds. Regret that I cannot send you a more favorable report. 

Respectfully, 

S. G. PARSONS. 



80 

Weaubleau, Mo., September 2, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours of recent date received in regard to the Hungarian quail I 
received. I had them put on my farm and kept feed out for them for some time, 
and they stayed around until about the 1st of June was the last we saw of them. 
Don't know whether it was on account of the dry weather or not that caused them 
to leave. The last few times we seen them they had mated, as there were two to- 
gether each time. Hope I will hear something of them yet, I remain 

Yours respectfully, 

G. W. THORNTON. 



Willow Springs, Mo., August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your inquiry in regard to pheasants received and will say that six 
pheasants sent me arrived November 8 in good shape and liberated on arrival, as 
per request. They stayed in the fields about one month, then took to the hills, but 
did not leave very far until spring. There was a big crop of all kinds of acorns, 
and I believe that was the cause of them taking to the woods. I kept corn out all 
winter for them in different fields, and when it snowed they came to it; as soon as 
snow went off they took to the woods again, and from what information I can get 
they are about two miles from where turned loose, but have not heard of any 
young pheasants. This part of the county is thinly settled and lots of cover and 
water and fuel. I believe they are as capable as the Bob White, and more so; I 
don't think hawk and owls will bother them much ; I am more afraid of foxes. I 
would like very much to try another lot if I could get them before cold weather. 
Would turn them loose in the millet and stock pea fields, and as there is no acorn 
this fall I believe they would stay on the farm, and I would do anything in reason 
to protect them. I did not hunt or allow a gun fired on the farm last winter. 

Respectfully, 

W. W. BEAZLEY. 



Novelty, Mo., September 2, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter of inquiry about pheasants will say I re- 
ceived six young pheasants about one year ago. They were little, young, ivcak 
felloivs. I got some zvire netting, kept them up for awhile, about tzvo weeks. They 
seemed to grow and do fine, but when I turned them out they scattered out and I 
only saw one or two at a time after that. As to the place I have for them, I have 
three hundred and twenty acres of land in a body, with ten acres of thick timber 
back of the orchard where I had a piece of wheat that I never cut, where I 
turned the pheasants out in and I fed cattle and hogs in the timber all winter, 
where there was plenty of water. There is no better place in the State than I 
have got, but don't think there is a pheasant on the place. Something must have 
caught them. Would like to try it again if you would send them to me. 

Yours truly, 

W. E. WILKERSON. 



81 

Flint Hill, Mo., September i, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I received four pair Hungarian partridges early this spring. They 
are doing fine. I have 172 acres, lots of woods pasture, corn fields and grass pas- 
tures. They have plenty of shelter; for water I have a spring branch running 
through my farm; it never goes dry. I feed stock and cattle during the winter 
months. Then I have several large stock fields in which they can find corn; then 
they can find hay stacked in fields. / saw several bunches last week, eleven and 
thirteen to the bunch. They have plenty of protection against hawks, owls and 
other vermin. I think they are doing tine. 

Yours truly, 

WILLIAM GROTHE. 



Ste. Genevieve, Mo., September 9, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I received Hungarian partridges in February; I kept them in coop 
until the 21st of February and then I turned them on my farm where I could see 
after them. They stayed around the house lot for two days and left and went to 
the timber. I did not see them for about two weeks, and after the snow had left 
they came back within 50 yards of the house and they seemed in as good condi- 
tion as our Bob White, for I saw our kind on the same day, and I was nearer the 
Bob White than the Hungarian birds ; the latter seemed to be wilder ; they took 
to the woods as soon as they saw me, and the common quail stayed there until I 
came within twenty yards of them. They seemed to eat all kinds of seeds as our 
common quail do; I fed them millet and Hungarian and different kinds of seed 
which our common quail eat; that is why I believe they would do as well here as 
ours. I have one pair on my farm now ; they were seen in stubble about two weeks 
ago, but they did not see any young ones. I saw two pair about two miles from my 
farm on the first of July; they had no young ones then; I have not seen the others 
since the middle of June. I do not know which way they went; my opinion is 
from what I saw of them they will migrate the same as our kind, the Bob White. 
My farm is in the river bottom lands and I have known quail to stay here all 
winter and leave in the spring, but come back in autumn; my birds stayed around 
my place for several weeks, and from what I could see from their ways they 
seemed to the same as all other birds, always on the lookout for hawks or some- 
thing; they are wilder than our Bob White. 

Yours very truly, 

JULES A. DETCHEMENDY. 



Lamonte, Mo., August 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I received the Hungarian quail all right. The night after I turned 
them out we had a big snow storm and I feared they would all be lost, but not 
so. All but one came through all right. I have never seen any of their young 
broods. Three weeks ago I found one of their nests with twenty-four eggs in it. 
We have seen them often; once two of them were with a covey of our common 
quail; I think they are doing well and will increase all right. I know several parties 
that have received them and all well pleased with the prospect for their future sue- 
No. 1—6 



82 

cess. Would like some pheasants, they become tame and domesticated. The only 
fear I have is the sportman's gun. Now, if properly protected, and we can get 
them to nest and we can hold them, the migration will cease. Ours have remained 
all right and they are shifty and take care of themselves. Of course, we scatter 
cane seed, kaffir corn and some wheat around where they run. 

Yours trufy, 

R. C. FISHER. 



Slater, Mo., September 4, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In answer to your letter in regard to the pheasants that you sent 
me will say that my luck with them was not very good. I made a good pen for 
them, fourteen feet wide by thirty feet long and four feet high, and cared for 
them well, but this spring when they commenced to lay one of the hens dropped 
around for about ten days and died, and some of the eggs did not hatch. Out of 
fifteen eggs I only got eight birds and four of them died, so I only raised four 
young ones and they are about half grown now. The old rooster flew against the 
top of the pen and, as luck would have it, he happened to hit a small place where 
the netting came together, and consequently got away. I then turned the other 
hens loose so they could get together, but I don't know whether they did or not. 
I haven't seen the rooster for some time, but / sec the hen every few days. She 
laid eight eggs and set on them right in the county road close to the fence. She 
has hatched them or something has broken her up, as I found some shells in the 
nest. I have seen the old hen since, but was not close enough to tell whether she 
had any young ones with her or not. / am going to keep the four young ones and 
try to raise some next year. I have two roosters and two hens. I will try and 
trade one of my roosters for another hen if I can. I feel somewhat disappointed 
because I did not raise more, but I will try again. I have a fine place to turn them 
loose here, and I think they will do well. I would ask you to send me some Hun- 
garian partridges to turn loose, but I am afraid some one will kill them when the 
quail law opens, as I presume they resemble the native bird to some extent. 

I am sorry that I cannot come up with a better showing, but I will try and do 
better next year. I will not give up, but try again. 

Thanking you for sending me the birds and living in hopes of furthering the 
interest of propagating the game birds of Saline county, I am 

Yours respectfully, 

W. L. ODELL. 



Cameron, Mo., September 2, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter will say I received some Hungarian part- 
ridges from you last spring. They arrived here in a storm; I lost one in the 
storm that I know of. I fed them as long as they stayed on my premises; I 
haven't seen or heard of them for three or four months; they were about a half 
mile south of me the last I heard of them, and could not say whether they hatched 
any young ones or not. Would like to receive another assignment of the birds, 
only earlier in the season, if j^ou should see fit to send them. 

Yours truly, 

H. B. SACKMAN, 
R. R. No. 4- 



83 

White Water, Mo., August 25, igrrv - 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter at hand and 'contents noted, and in reply will say thaiit 
T received Hungarian partridges, but I think they are all dead, or left my farm,. 
at least I can't see any no more ; they seem to be a roaming bird ; they are either' 
wilder than our Bobs, or else they were dissatisfied here, as one day they would! 
be at one place, the other or next day they would be entirely at another place. I 
did not feed them, as the weather here was open all the time after I received 
them, only one snow, which was off in a half day, and I don't know whether I 
could have fed them if I had tried, as they would not stay at one place ; otherwise 
they seemed to thrive, as it seemed they were growing all the time. The last I savf 
of them was about the first part of May; they seemed to be about a third larger 
than when I liberated them; they looked nice, fat and plump, but I am afraid the 
hawks got them. Of course, they might have left their range altogether, as they 
seemed to roam around so. This is all that I can say at present; hope others 
have had better success, as they are nice birds, and no more harm in them tharg 
quail. Yours respectfully, 

F. W. NOTHDURFT, 



Harris, Mo., R. 2, August 28, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Would say I got the pheasants all O. K. One died first night, got 
other all O. K till spring, and they scattered on me. One rooster stayed till June, 
We found him dead in the meadow in harvest; I think they are all dead; have 
found all but one; I think it got too dry; I think water got scarce; I don't be- 
lieve they are very good rustlers; ours stayed with our chickens and got quite 
tame. I wish you success in your game business. 

Yours for success, 

R. H. COCHRAN- 



Fayette, Mo., August 28, 191 r,- 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I received three hens and one rooster (pheasants) last falL 
I kept them all winter and turned them out the first of March. They stayed 
around my place until May. I fed them wheat every day. They were their 
seen on Mr. Ferguson's place until the first of August. One of the hens^ 
that I kept we saw here zvith young ones sometime in July on Wm. Fealant's place- 
The brush is so thick we cannot see them very often. Wm. Crews has one covey 
of pheasants on his place. I think they will stand the winter here fine. In 1882 I 
turned seven pair of Oregon quail loose and they raised several coveys, but 
I have not heard of any of them for several years. 

Until the first of the month my grandson saw some with topknots, and 
today I saw the same quails, but they look grayer than the ones I brought- 
from Oregon. 

You did not send me any quail. 

Respectfully, 

WM. H. COLLINS! 

P. S. — I don't think they will be bad to migrate if they can get water. 



84 

Frankfopd, Mo., August 26, 191 r. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Yours received in regard to the pheasants will say the ones 
1 received one died while being expressed, but balance got to me in good 
shape. I turned mine in a wheat field as I have a large farm. Of course, the 
pheasants get all they can eat. Mine are at large with small gang of small ones, as 
they are very wild I cannot say how many in number, and seem to have made 
last season all right, so far as hawks, owls, etc. But we have a good 
location in my vicinity for both partridges and wild birds and game, as I 
own 1,500 acres up and down creek bqttom and allow no hunting on my 
premises. Also own a large pack of hounds that keep all vermin killed out 
that usually disturb wild game that sit and hatch on ground. 

Yes, I think the pheasants are able to feed and take care of themselves. 
The ones I have are still in my vicinity, while they are not always on my 
place, but are in the locality. Others hear and see them occasionally. I 
think where one has the proper range for them they will do and raise better 
in the wild stage than in captivity. This is my opinion so far as my experi- 
ence is concerned. There is no one else in my locality who has the pheasants. 

The pheasant is a bird that to my belief will make its living through the 
winter on small rations. Therefore, when in captivity, are often overfed, 
causing death. They seem to be constituted more like a guinea and will not thrive 
on too much feed. Respectfully, 

JEFF D. McCUNE. 



Maple Lawn Farm, August 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Yours is before me. First place I received four pair of Hun- 
garian partridges. I liberated the same in a grove in middle of my farm 
and continued to feed them till grass and insects were plentiful, or as long 
as I could find them to feed. They commenced separating last of March. 
Then in the early part of May I saw one pair on my farm and was very care- 
ful to not scare them. Have been watching for them ever since, but have 
not seen any of them since. I surely have done the best I could for their 
protection. 

As for taking care of themselves, outside of hawks, believe them equal to 
Bob White. 

My neighbors often inquire of me when I saw them last, and I asked them 
if they saw any on not. 

I think they are bad to stray, as I have plenty of cover and do not allow 
bunting on my farm. Will continue to look for birds. If I see any, will 
write you. 

Plenty of Bob Whites, but few young. Three miles northwest I saw a 
small flock of pheasants. 

Yours, 

Wheeling, Mo. B. F. WOLFE. 



Utica, Mo., August 26, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — You sent us pheasants in 1910. All scattered over this section with- 
in a few weeks after liberating, except one, which remained with one ot our ten- 



85 

ant's chickens till midwinter when, I understand, a young fellow up town killed it- 
Heard of a hen and six or eight young ones about a mile north of us a few weeks 
ago. Heard of one in our orchard about July ist. If they are here they seem to 
keep mighty well hid, as the above were only seen once. 

The pheasant eggs you sent us this summer — fifteen in number — hatched five 
birds; three died in a few days, the other two are larger than quail now and stay 
around with the chickens all the time, roost in the woodshed and seem tame as 
the chickens* 

If you have any more pheasants or Hungarian partridges which you wish 
placed in this neighborhood, send them along and we will do the best we can with 
them. Yours very truly, 

A. J. and IRA HEDRICK. 



Joplin, Mo., August 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — A year ago I received from you six pheasants, and about a month 
afterwards liberated them, together with some I had raised. At first they re- 
mained pretty close to the farm house with those I had raised, which were very 
tame. 

Feed was put out for them most of the winter, but do not believe it was neces- 
sary, as they are great rustlers and are amply able to take care of themselves 
along that line unless it is an extra cold winter with heavy snow. 

Soon as the breeding season appeared they immediately went to the thickets 
along the creek bluffs, and have remained in that locality since, and are hard 
to find. 

Two hens with chicks were seen several times, and I believe they will prove 
a big success. 

I do not believe either hawks, owls or other vermin can make much headway 
in catching them, as they are very alert and swift of flight. 

I do not believe pheasants will migrate if they have suitable places to hide n\ T 
as well as feeding grounds. 

As near as could be told, these hens had twelve to fifteen young ones each. 

Yours truly, 

C. O. McCASKILL. 



Calhoun, Mo.., August 22, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I received your letter and would say in regard to the coop of 
pheasants I received from you last fall, about November, I think. I kept them in 
a large coop and done my best to raise some; only got about twenty eggs; could 
not hatch a bird, and came to the conclusion the eggs were not fertile on account 
of too close confinement, and released them on this place and they have not gone 
over one and one-fourth mile from the house. I believe they will take care of 
themselves if no hunter kills them, as they have a good place to rove, as there is 
plenty of cover for them ; I don't think they could increase without some kind of 
brush to hide in. 

I will write for a setting of eggs next spring and will let you know if the wild 
ones increase or raise any young ones. 

Yours, 

J. T. PATRICK. 



86 

WlLLIAMSTOWN, Mo., August 28, I9II. 

Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I have been rather slow in answering your letter. I received my 
Hungarian partridges on the 15th or 20th of March, 1911; they paired off; stayed 
around close for some time; they seemed to be a good deal like our Bob White. 
1 have been watching and making some inquiries of my neighbors in regard to 
them. I was told this morning by one man that he had seen one flock of the birds 
on his place; he thinks there were about fifteen in the flock, and I know of an- 
other pair with from eight to ten. The weather was fine when I got them and re- 
mained so for a long time. I think they will be able to take care of themselves 
against hawks and owls, but can't say in regard to cold weather. Would like very 
much to receive some of your pamphlets ; some of my neighbors asked me to get 
some. Yours truly, 

C. B. SMITH. 



Nix a, Mo., August 22, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In regard to my pheasants I received the first two in the spring of 
3910, and kept them through the summer, but from some cause the hen layed no 
eeggs. In the fall you sent me one male and three hens. I kept them up in the 
;house through the winter; they seemed to do well. In the spring, on March 21, 
■3911, I turned them loose in some wood of eight acres, covered with larger trees 
and thick underbrush. I have seen them off and on every two or three weeks 
.since. They made their nest in some old Sago grass that grew in an old field that 
J let lay out, or at least one of them did. I think they must have hatched between 
twenty-five and fifty young birds in all, or at least that many has been seen with 
-them. I do not know how many of the hens laid and raised young ones. There 
ss some woods adjoining my land that belongs to Frank Edwards and W. J. Hedg- 
ipethe, perhaps forty acres in all. The birds seem to stay in these woods, but have 
•seemed to stay the most of the time on my farm. I believe they can take care of 
themselves as well as the Bob White. I do not believe they are bad to migrate if 
tthey have the right kind of woods and brush, but there is one other thing that 
-must or should be done, and that is to keep men and boys with dogs to go about 
•ihem or bother them. They are afraid of dogs, and none should be allowed to 
jjo near them. They also seem to be afraid of strangers, and the shot of a gun 
•irightens them. If hunters with dogs and guns could be kept away from them, I 
Ihelieve they would raise right along here on my farm, but I find it hard to keep 
•them off. They can hunt on the land adjoining mine, and that keeps them both- 
ered. I aim to watch my pheasants and feed them the best I can. If I can keep 
hunters out this winter I believe. I can get them to come to a certain place to be 
fed, but if they get after them I fear they will scatter them so I cannot do any 
thing with them. Boys and dogs seem to bother them more than anything else so 
far. If I could get my neighbors to keep all hunters out I could do better. What 
"is the best plan I could fall on to keep hunters out. 

Wishing you success, I remain, 

Yours truly, 

DR. G. P. S. BROWN. 

P. S. : — Jeff Pope, just west of me got some Hungarian partridges and, I under- 
stand, has raised some birds. 



87 

Millgrove, Mo., August 31, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. :' 

Dear Sir — In regard to yours of recent date I have not any Hungarian part- 
ridges, but I have two fine flocks of young pheasants; I have one fine flock of 
about forty-five took to the woods. 

Please remember me when you ship any Hungarian partridges. 

Yours, 

D. J. BRITTAIN. 



St. Louis, Mo., September i, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In answer to your letter to Samuel H. Wagner in regard to part- 
ridges, I will say as follows : 

In the fall of 1910 you sent us^ eleven partridges and one was dead in shipment. 
"We kept them for ten days in a large barn and fed them regularly. Then we 
turned them loose in a large field next to the timber. We fed them all winter at 
frequent intervals. They seem to be able to care for themselves, as we have four 
or five coveys of quail in the same place. Yes, they hatched out some young, as 
the last time I saw them the flock was twenty or thirty in the bunch. They seem 
to stay on our place, although my neighbors are much pleased with them and are 
doing all in their power to protect them. They have plenty of food and two or 
three small streams to get water from. In short, they seem to be doing fine and 
as well as Bob White or any game fowl. 

We received a setting of pheasant eggs which you sent, but not one hatched, 
although we took the greatest care of them. 

If you will send another setting or some live pheasants, we will take the best 
of care of them and report very carefully all the habits, etc., that you ask for. 

We have 640 acres of land in Pulaski county, near Arlington, and being tim- 
bered and broken, it is well adapted for breeding any kind of game birds. 

You had better send a game warden to the Hooker P. O. District, as there is 
lots of hunters killing quail, ducks, etc., without a license, and as you know this 
will tend to exterminate all game. Trusting that this letter is satisfactory, I am 

Respectfully, 

LOUIS WAGNER, 
Deputy License Inspector, 2614 Potomac St., St. Louis, Mo. 



Roscoe, Mo., August 26, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours to hand yesterday. In reply will say we got eight Hungarian 
partridges in March, 191 1, and fifteen pheasant eggs later in the spring. 

The Hungarian partridges we turned loose where we had a lot of millet 
stacked. They were seen by different parties till late in the spring. 

Whether they raised any little ones I do not know. If any one sees them I 
will write you. 

The pheasant eggs hatched ten out of fifteen. We raised seven of them until 
they began to wander. All seven may be living for all I knotv, as many as five 
were at the house today. They don't seem to be very wild. My sister-in-law, Mrs. 
Agnes Smith, can call them on to the porch. They will eat at your feet. They 
do not flock together like quail; they seem to scatter out, one in a place. They are 
not all the same shade, some has long tails and some short ones. One has turkey- 



88 

red feathers on the side of its tail. I think they are all getting spurs. I don't 
know' whether they are all males or females; I presume they are more than half 
grown. They seem to be lusty and care nothing to be in the rain. 

I know nothing in regard to their migrating habits. You can use as much of 
this letter as you choose, and write jTm at your request and give any information 
I can. Very truly yours, 

N. B. SMITH. 



Hooker., Mo., August 28, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Yours to hand in regard to the Hungarian partridges you so kindly 
shipped to us here, and I beg leave to inform you that the birds sent to me were 
fed here on our farm until spring, and in May and June we saw them every week 
or so. They seemed to separate later, and it has been a month or six weeks since 
any of us have seen any of them. They have so much territory to hide in and 
such good places, we may not be able to find them until the winter sets in. I do 
not think they have left us, and we hope to find them later with young ones, and 
if we do we will report to you the facts. 

I would like to have another shipment and handle them in a different way to 
the way we handled the ones you sent. I think the proper way is to get two rods 
of poultry wire and make a run and keep them up a week or so and then turn 
out a male bird and keep on turning them out until the shipment was all free. 

If we could succeed in stocking this part of our State with these birds it would 
be a great work and would add so much pleasure for sportsmen they never could 
forget it. 

I very much regret the fight the last House made on you and your department, 
and the people here will remember it when the time comes. 

Respectfully, 

JNO. L. HOOKER. 



Eolia, Mo., August 28, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In response to your letter received a day or two ago, I will give the 
best information I can. In August of 1910, you sent me six pheasants, one cock 
and five hens, which I turned right out in a large woodland tract, containing plenty 
of water and adjoining grain fields, giving plenty of cover and feed. I saw the 
birds only once in the early spring (1911), but I could not say how many there 
were, and ten days ago one old bird with two young ones were seen together in 
the same woodland they were turned out in a year ago, and I am quite satisfied 
that with proper cover, water and feed and protection from hunters they will in- 
crease and flourish in the condition I refer to, as well as the Bob White. Of 
course, they are not as prolific, and they require more cover, such as underbrush 
in woodlands. If they were turned out in meadows or even fields of grain I am 
sure they would migrate. I am so well satisfied with my shipment that I feel if I 
had a few more birds in a year or so, I would see and hear a good many pheas- 
ants on our place, which I am hoping may be the case any way. No, I did not 
feed the birds, and I only know of one of my neighbors to whom you sent birds, 
and as they did not have any cover, save temporary, I think the birds migrated. 
If we expect and wish to establish pheasants in the open, they must have cover 
and protection from hunters for a few years. 



89 



I trust I have covered your letter, for I am very much interested in the sub- 
ject, and I appreciated very much your sending the birds, and I remain, 

Very truly, 
(MISS) SARAH C. BLOCK. 



Commerce, Mo., August 26, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I have just been to see pheasants that you sent to me sometime 
ago. They are growing and getting along fine. They don't scare very bad when 
you walk up to them. I think they will get along all right. I have a fine range 
for them. Assuring you that I will give the birds the best protection that I can, 
I remain as ever, 

Yours truly, 

H. W. SANDERS. 



Napton, Mo., August 23, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I was one to whom pheasants were sent. My birds wandered away 
gradually to thicker cover, but are fully able to take care of themselves, in my 
opinion. 

There are several bunches of young pheasants in the neighborhood, but 
whether they are hatched from the birds sent me or from those sent Dr. George 
Smith, I cannot say, as the birds migrated towards the same quarters. From the 
best reports believe them able to live and do well in this section. 

I have not been able to learn of any of them being destroyed in any way, al- 
though suspicion was pointed at a gang of several negroes in the winter past. 
Nothing definite could be learned. 

Some thirty eggs or more were sent me in the spring. These we intended to 
put out with turkey hens, but no hen being available, they were given to the Leg- 
horn hen that hatched them. The hatch was poor and we were disappointed in this, 
but after the first week or so the young birds seemed to thrive well. There are 
now some ten or twelve birds about half grown, and they stay on the place with 
the chickens. 

Most of our birds — all but one or possibly two — I believe are cocks. What 
would you advise me in this circumstance. I have been wanting to write you about 
it for some time. Only one of these birds has been killed, or died, from any cause, 
since they were able to fly, that I have been able to discover, and that one was 
caught by a bird dog that had gotten loose. The bird would have easily eluded 
the dog, but it had wandered into an out-building and could not reach the door. 

I would like for you to send me four, or better six, hen pheasants to turn loose 
with the cocks. The younger the better, because they will stay with the other birds 
better. I would like to be in on the next spring shipments of eggs, as our trial, 
taking into consideration some disadvantages which can be overcome on a second 
trial, was very satisfactory. Anything of importance I will report, and am glad to 
answer any questions at any time. 

Hope to hear from you concerning the young birds, I am 

Sincerely yours, 

JOHN R. HALL, M. D. 



90 

Jefferson City, Mo., August 23, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir— I was handed your letter of inquiry by Mr. John Goller, and 
such information as I have been able to gather I will gladly give. I turned loose 
on Mr. Goller's farm a number of pheasants and partridges and they are all still 
in that neighborhood and seem to be doing well. I liberated these birds early in 
the spring, so can't say whether they have to be fed through the winter or not. 
I have been told by several parties that they have seen on Mr. Goller's farm a 
pheasant with about a dozen young. There is another one with young ones on 
Emil Loesch's farm, and one with young on the farm of John Ott. On John 
Beck's farm "there are four partridges with about forty young. Henry Sommerer 
has a bunch of young partridges and so has John Ott. One old pheasant has 
been found dead, but could not learn from what cause. While cutting hay, Emil 
Loesch found a pheasant's nest with ten eggs. He left a bunch of hay stand 
around the nest. About three weeks later he went to the nest and it was empty, 
except two eggs. There were no broken shells or anything to show what be- 
came of the other eggs, and since that time no young ones have been seen there, 
so suppose snake robbed that nest. So my opinion is that, as all these birds are 
within a mile of where they were liberated, they do not migrate. They are 
capable of taking care of themselves, and they will do well. 

Your truly, 

NICK KIELMAN. 



Hermann, Mo., August 21, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

I received your letter asking me in regard to the Hungarian partridges you sent 
me last summer. The party I sent them to told me that only two pair are staying 
on his farm and the other pair are about one-half mile from his place, and 
seem that, so he says, that they are mixing with our quail. In regard to feeding 
quail and partridges. Last winter I fed and the farmers had plenty of corn in 
shock and in the field yet, and the open winter we had was not hard on them. 
We have now five coveys where there used to be only one. Lots of underbrush, 
where they can hide, and lots of springs in our hills. In regard to migrate, 
they did not go so far away from the place where they were liberated; only 
about one-half mile. The farmers even could not tell me if they had any young, 
but that they go with the quail they can tell, because they are bigger. 

Yours, 

F. REBSAMEN. 



Springfield, Mo., August 19, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter of inquiry received. I got Hungarian partridges too 
early in the spring. I think they perished by a severe wet cold spell a few days 
after liberated, at least they disappeared one week after turned out. My man fol- 
lowed instructions strictly, and they were liberated in a thicket two hundred feet 
square within fifty yards of my barn, under which they could have gone. A 
large pond is between barn and thicket. They were fed wheat and cane seed, 
also small grains of corn. One arrived dead and was on top of the coops when 
received. I have a 100-acre orchard, and do not think my neighbors would harm 
them. Am sorry it was a failure. 

Yours truly, 
5 W. A. IRVIN. 



91 

Union, Mo., August 19, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Your letter to hand and contents noted. I got the pheasants last 
summer, 1910, and, according to directions, liberated them in a few hours after 
they got to our station. They did well and stayed on my place until fall and 
then drifted on an adjoining farm, and so far as I can find by inquiry are there 
yet. I was asking about them one day this week, and the man told me that one 
of the males got so tame that it would come into his yard and fight with a 
rooster, but he hadn't seen him for some time. I can't find out whether they have 
3'oung or not, but suppose they have. I didn't feed them at all, and they seemed 
to grow and do well. If I had them to liberate again, am confident I could keep 
them on my place. I turned them out thinking they would stay in the fields, 
but they seem to want to go into the timber, and the timber of my neighbor being 
closer than my timber from where I turned them out, they went to him, and they 
seem to stay with him all right. I never saw where the hawks caught but one, 
.and the rest grew to be fine birds. I would have liked to have had more, but 
thought you wouldn't have enough to send to those to whom you had sent them 
to. Our representative, A. A. Vitt, told me that he would recommend me if I 
wanted to send for more. Any information you may want, write me. 

Respectfully, 

S. V. CHEATHAM. 



Mendon, Mo., August 21, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir— In reply to your letter about the birds, I will say my partridges are 
still with me and doing nicely. I except to get a good number of birds. Don't 
know how many they have. I think they all went through the winter nicely. 
Think they are fully as hardy and as able to rustle for themselves as our Bob 
Whites. 

While I fed and cared for them through the winter I wouldn't always find 
them ready for their rations like I did the pheasants. I made brush piles around 
the hedges and orchard for them, and' would most always find them there till 
spring opened, and it seemed the handsome little fellows longed for their timber 
home and they left me. You see I have a prairie farm, and I am afraid there 
' is not enough protection for the pheasants. I found where a hawk had caught 
one. 

I think the partridges will be a success on the prairie. Was talking with a 
man yesterday over at Keytesville who has some pheasants, and he has two coveys 
of them, nine in one flock and thirteen in another. He has plenty of timber. 

No, my birds doesn't all stay on our place. Some have crossed the road on 
G. L. Gardner's place, but he promised me he would protect them against hunters. 
He, like myself, is very much interested in them. 

Any time I can give you any information in regard to the birds will be glai 
to do so. Hoping I will get a good number of birds, I remain 

Yours very truly, 

G. P. McGREW. 



Silex, Mo., August 19, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir— In compliance with your request will state that I received from 
you four pair of Hungarian partridges last spring. I turned them loose in a fine 



92 

place for quails. They had all necessary protection, plenty to eat and plenty of 
water. But I am sorry to say I have never been able to see these birds only twice 
since I released them, and then only one pair at two different times ; do not know 
whether it was the same pair, both times or not. As to whether they have hatched 
any young ones I cannot say. I am fearful these birds are bad to migrate. I 
think they have left the farm. Should anything happen to show them up in the 
future I will inform you. Yours truly, 

B. R. WILLIAMS. 



New Madrid, Mo., August 13, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

I was talking with Daniel Comfort the other day and he said there were- 
several young pheasants around his place and other flocks, and that he had good 
success with his. Will you please send me a shipment of them, as there is one- 
male bird around my place and haven't noticed any females. 

Yours truly, 

S. R. SHY. 



Corning, Mo., August 19, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — Replying to your favor of the 18th, will say : The five pair of 
Hungarian quail you sent me were very gentle before I turned them out ; I left 
them in a shed for about six weeks until all danger of snow storms were over. 
We seen them several times each week until the corn was about knee high. Some 
time in the latter part of June we found one nest with about twelve eggs, but 
some hens found it and commenced laying in the nest, when they left and have 
never seen any since; heard of one nest, which was about one and one-half miles 
from me; the old bird hatched twelve from the number of empty shells in the nest. 
They are a bird that is very hard to see where there is grass or weeds ; you will 
have to almost step on them before they, move, but when disturbed or frightened, 
will fly much farther than our Bob White. Think as for hawks or vermin of any 
kind, they seem to take care of themselves better than our Bob White. I believe - 
they wander over more ground than any other bird, from what little I have seen 
of these ; there was no reason why they should not stay close, plenty of feed and 
water, with a wide scope of timber meadow and orchard to run in. 

I have also noticed when they are frightened they never go back to that place- 
again very soon. 

The male is not as wild or shy as the female, and do not hide as much. 

This is about all I can tell about the partridges, as I have not had much.' 
chance to observe more closely their habits. Will report to you the first time I 
see any. 

Hoping the birds will prove a success, I remain, 

Yours truly, 

E. A. ROSELINS. 



Boonville, Mo., August 18, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I received a half dozen of your pheasants. 

As I have plenty of open water, surrounded with close timber, I haven't seen., 
any of the pheasants since middle of April. 



93 

I still think there is one or more left on my premises, and others have been 
seen by neighbors. 

I know of one rooster being caught by a hawk. 

I intended to feed my pheasants last winter, but found out that they were do- 
ing well from the scatterings of my stock. I haven't heard of but one young one, 
and its head was cut off by a mower. Whether there were any more young ones 
there or not I do not know; I have been hoping to find a flock of them soon. 

You also promised to send me five pair of Hungarian partridges last year, but 
never did receive them. 

I think I understand why I did not get them. I have some of the finest chances 
on earth for them. If there is any chance to get any I will give them the best 
of care. 

Yours very truly, 

CHRIS. OHLENDORF. 



Armstrong, Mo., July 25, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo.: 

Dear Sir — Out of the three shipments of pheasants shipped to Armstrong last 
summer three of the hens have drifted out in draws in the fields, staying in the 
briers and buck bushes. One of them has twelve, one fifteen and the other eighteen 
young, about the size of quail, and seem to be doing fine; they were all liberated 
in dense woods, and can't say what the others may be doing. They will certainly 
be protected here, as every farmer is interested and takes a pride in the pheasants. 
Any shipments made here you can depend will be well taken care of. 

Very respectfully, 

J. L. CECIL, M. D. 



Corning, Mo., May 15, 191 1. 
.Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I want to say a word in regard to the pheasants I have in captivity 
you sent me. They are not laying as I think they should, and I want to ask your 
permission to liberate them, as I think they will do better; they have laid only six 
eggs and quit; haven't laid for a week; I have those six eggs setting. 

I found one of the pheasant hen's nest that I liberated last fall, and she has 
gone to setting; has sixteen eggs; I haven't located the other hens' nests so far. 
Two of the cock pheasants mate with chicken hens in our poultry yard every day, 
but so far we have been unable to hatch out any half breeds. I will keep a close 
look-out on the pheasant hen that is setting, and see how they hatch. She has her 
nest in our 20-acre apple orchard. 

Please let me hear from you. 

Very respectfully, 

CHAS. E. DANGERS. 



Meadville, Mo., July 5, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — I have always intended to let you know of my success in raising 
pheasants. Well, I had some bad luck at first. You sent me two settings of eggs 
and I set them under Brown Leghorn hens; one hen got off her nest; I did not 
find it out until her eggs were cold, so none of that setting hatched, but twelve 
of the others hatched, and I now have eight pheasants larger than full-grown 
•quail, all doing nicely, and so tame. I did raise them altogether according to the 



94 

rules you sent in the pamphlet. But they did not do well penned up, so I turned 
them loose when ten days old and have let them run ever since ; the mother hen 
was a great stroller and took them all over the farm, but would always bring them 
home at night. Now they are weaned, but still show up at night for their clabber 
cheese, which they love and thrive on better than any other food. They are the 
most interesting little birds I have ever tried to raise. When I go out with a pan 
of food and' call them they come flying from every direction and alight on my 
shoulders; still they show their wild nature and do not like to be handled. I be- 
lieve I can stock this part of the country in a few years. 

I see by the Republic that } r ou are going to have some more to distribute this 
fall, and as I am sure that mine will not be even pairs, I want to ask you, Mr. 
Tolerton, if you will furnish either birds I shall need this fall? I cannot tell yet 
what the sex is, as some are darker than others and have shorter tails. Are they 
the hens? 

Thanking you again for your favor, I am, 

Yours for success, sincerely, 

MRS. J. T. POWELL. 



Huntington, Mo., September 8, 191 1. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir — In reply to your letter will say that you sent me some of the Hun- 
garian partridges. These birds were liberated at once upon their arrival, and I 
fed them, which I found was no trouble, so far as getting them to the feed was 
concerned, for they would come to their feeding place and did not seem wild, but 
they have been taking care of themselves all summer. I am sure they can take 
care of themselves equally as well as the Bob White; I have about 35 or 40 young 
birds; seem to be doing nicely; do not think the birds are bad to migrate, as these 
seem to stay around near where I turned them out. I have several times seen 
these birds come very near the house. Are very tame, and one can feed them aa 
easily almost as the barnyard hen. If these birds can be protected from the care- 
less hunters who would shoot them as quick as any other bird, I think it a matter 
of a very few years until we will have plenty of them. 

If I can at any time give you any information as to these birds, please do not 
fail to write me, as I will be very glad to do so. 

Yours very truly, 

R. A. AS HER. 



Atlanta, Macon Co., Mo., September 8, 1911. 
Jesse A. Tolerton, State Game and Fish Commissioner, Jefferson City, Mo. : 

Dear Sir— The pheasants which you shipped me July 10, and which I liberated, 
appear to be doing all right. I see one cockerel and one hen nearly every day feed- j 
ing about the barnyard, and are very tame. I think the others must be all right if 
these are. About four miles from here I have 80 acres of timbered and brush 
land, and this year one pair of native pheasants raised a good litter of young ones. 
These pheasants stay, there every year. Please inform me the best way to protect ' 
these native pheasants. Mr. Chas. Watters owns a farm adjoining this 80 acres 
and is desirous of helping me to protect them. // this man had the power to make 
an arrest I think that would give the birds protection. I zuould like to have another 
shipment of pheasants next year to turn loose on this 80-acre tract, if possible. It 
is an ideal pheasant wild. 

Yours truly, 

ALBERT HOCKENSMITH. 



95 

In order that the readers of this pamphlet may have some idea as 
to who these parties are who are assisting me in trying this experiment, 
I want to call their attention to some prominent citizens of the State, 
whose letters will be found herein : 

W. E. McCully, manager Wardell Orchard Company, Macon, Mo. ; 
Com P. Storts, leading attorney of Saline county ; Green B. Greer, large 
land owner in Scott county; T\ C. Crane, collector of the revenue, Chris- 
tian county; J. L. Hepburn, president of the Farmers' Mutual Fire In- 
surance Company, Nodaway county; Ben J. Smith, retired newspaper 
man, Ava, Mo. ; I. G. Farnsworth, cashier of Bank of Latour ; Chas. C. 
Treiver, circuit clerk, Moniteau county; R. L. Patterson, Patterson 
Boiler Mills, Smithton, Mo. ; C. F. Newman, prominent attorney, Dade 
county; F. W. Buffum, Buffum Tool Company, Louisiana, Mo.; H. W. 
Meuschke, of the Mueschke Dry Goods Company, Sedalia, Mo. ; W. F. 
Coan, Coan Building Material Company, Kansas City ; Fred L. Munson, 
member of the State Board of Agriculture ; J. G. Love, assistant 
physician State Hospital, Nevada, Mo. ; J. L. Ransburg, county clerk, 
New Madrid county ; B. L. Schofield, postmaster, Bolivar, Mo. ; Ben F. 
Leonard, real estate and investments, Bolivar, Mo. ; S. B. Gardner, 
clerk of Senator Allee ; Max L. Ostner, general merchandise ; W. A. 
Millans, attorney at law, Linneus, Mo. ; Jno. S. Taylor, assistant cashier 
Christian County Bank, Ozark, Mo. ; Lighton Shields, member of the 
Legislature from St. Louis ; W. A. Chilcott, traveling salesman ; W. S. 
Peacock, sheriff Lafayette county; Geo. D. Leggett, manufacturer of 
bed springs, Carthage, Mo. ; R. L. Shelby, vice-president Big Four Store 
Company, Charleston, Mo. ; J. F. Tising, merchant, Highpoint, Mo. ; 
W. E. Phipps, member of the Legislature from Cedar county ; Roy W. 
Rucker, prosecuting attorney Chariton county; R. L. Eason, county 
treasurer Schuyler county; E. A. Bunton, cashier Exchange Bank, 
Maysville, Mo. ; Jesse B. Jones, leading lawyer of Northeast Missouri, 
Frankford; D. S. Watts, cashier Bank of Marquand, Marquand, Mo.; 
C. E. Davis, proprietor of City Hotel, Noel, Mo. ; W. B. Marckel, col- 
lector of revenue, Palmyra, Mo. ; E. K. Horine, Cassville Produce Com- 
pany, Cassville, Mo. ; T. W. Lynes, farmer and breeder of thoroughbred 
cattle and hogs; Victor E. Cartier, clerk Modern Woodman, Bonnets 
Mill, Mo.; Col. J.. L. Torrey, -owner of a ten thousand-acre farm in 
Howell county; Fred Lancaster, assistant cashier First National Bank, 
Marceline, Mo. ; Frank T. O'Neal, secretary and treasurer of Holland- 
O'Neal Milling Company, Mt. Vernon, Mo. ; Jno. A. Wood, secretary of 
Confederate Solidiers' Home; Jas. D. Wayman, prosecuting attorney 
Gentry county; H. S. Stapel, editor Atchison County Mail, Rockport,, 



96 

Mo. ; Jno. 0. Koberts, president Clifford Banking Company, Clarksville, 
Mo. ; Chas. L. Walker, assistant cashier Ozark Bank, Ozark, Mo. ; Jno. 
Slade, ex-superintendent of schools, Andrew county; H. C. Mead, real 
estate and loan agent, Slater, Mo.; E. D. Silver, representative from 
St. Charles county; C. L. Cunningham, Cunningham Store Company, 
Caruthersville, Mo. ; C. D. Goodrum, Goodrum Mortgage and Invest- 
ment Company, Lamar, Mo. ; J. "W. Settle, merchant, Potosi, Mo. ; J. 
C. Pistol, cashier Farmers and Merchants Bank, Hopkins, Mo. ; S. J. 
Heaton, Stark Brothers Nursery, Rolla, Mo.; Dr. F. A. Bazon, Clark, 
Mo. 



INDEX TO LETTERS OF PARTIES REPORTING ON BIRDS. 



Name and address. Page 

Alexander, P. S., Lee's Summit 15 

Anchors, A. L., Nevada 69 

Ashcraft, B. G., Marionville 31 

Asher, R. A., Huntington 94 

Bagnell, Robert, Nelson 40 

Baile, J. H., Warrensburg 79 

Bazan, Dr. L. A., Clark 71 

Beamer, D. A., Lamar 55 

Beazley, W. W., "Willow Springs 80 

Bennett, Dr. A. L., Cairo 75 

Block, Miss Sarah C, Eolia 88 

Boyd, Walter S., Vandalia 23 

Bridgeman, R. B., Oregon 58 

Brittain, D. J., Millgrove 87 

Brown, John, Eldorado Springs 66 

Brown, J. J., Quincy 68 

Brown, Dr. G. P. S., Nixa 86 

Buffum, Prank W., Louisiana 24 

Bulger, John., Hughesville ' 41 

Bunton, E. A., Maysville 46 

Caldwell, J. R., Green Ridge 42 

Carroll, J. G., Butler 73 

Carroll, H. S., Lentner 76 

Cartier, "Victor E., Bonnots Mill 51 

Cecil, J. L., Armstrong 93 

Cheatham, S. V., Union c 91 

Chilcott, W. A., Kansas City 33 

Chilton, B. P., Chilton .' 52 

Clark, A. G., Galena 72 

Clay, Col. Green, Mexico 52 

Cochran, M. J., Green City 66 

Cochran, R. H., Harris 83 

Cockrill, Thomas G., Platte City 78 

Coen, W. P., Kansas City 24 

Coleman, P. A., Holland 40 

Collins, "Wm. H., Fayette 83 

Converse, "W. L., Clinton '. 77 

Cooke & Son, S. W., Maysville 44 

Coon, Ross, Hermitage 63 

Coutant, L., Monett 37 

Cox, Albert, So. Greenfield 72 

Cozean, J. M., Marquand 70 

Craig Bros., Pittsville 75 

Cunningham, C. L., Caruthersville 62 

Dankers, Chas. E., Corning 93 

Darby, Prank, Urbana 27 

Davis, C. E., Noel 48 

Davis, H. F., Ozark 57 

Detchemendy, Jules A., Ste. Genevieve 81 

Eason, R. L., Lancaster 42 

Elliott, B., Odessa 49 

Elliston, Jas. L., Clinton 65 

Estill, R. G., Estill 46 

Farmer, J. W., Sparta 59 

No. 1—7 

(97) 



98 

Name and address. Page 

Farnsworth, I. G., Latour 16 

Fisher, R. C., LaMonte 81 

French, J., Hale 18 

Ford, C. Y., Odessa 43 

Fox, John T., Fair Play 68 

Gardner, S. B., Richland 30 

Goodrum, C. D., Lamar 63 

Goodson, James, Carrollton ~ 68 

Graves, A. L., Garden City 75 

Green, N. T., Reeds Spring 34 

Greer, Green B., Sikeston 13 

Grothe, Wm., Flint Hill.- 81 

Guthrie, R. E., LaMonte 52 

Hall, Jno. R., Napton 89 

Hardy, J. G, Monroe City 66 

Hardin, D. A., Savannah 54 

Heaton, S. J., Rolla 64 

Hedrick, A. J. and Ira, Utica 84 

Henderson, W. W., LaPlata 3 6 

Hepburn, J. L., Hopkins 14, 36 

Hill, Wm. B., Keytesville 50 

Hockensmith, Albert, Atlanta 29, 94 

Holland, Chas. J., Montrose 78 

Holloway, G. F., Rolla 35 

Hooker, Jno. L., Hooker 88 

Horine, E. K., Cassville 50 

Howat, John, Clarksville 62 

Hubbard, Wm., Butler 70 

Hughes, W. A., Glasgow 41 

Irvin, W. A., Springfield 90 

Jenkins, Mrs. Robert T., Slater 74 

Jones, Jesse B., Frankford 47 

Johnson, H. L., Winston 39 

Keith, W. C, Mayview 76 

Kielman, Nick, Jefferson City 90 

Knox, John, St. James 28 

Koch, J. M., Clinton 67 

Lancaster, Fred, Marceline 53 

Lee, Henry T., Columbia 28 

Leggett, Geo. D., Carthage 36 

Leonard, Ben F., Bolivar 29 

Love, J. G., Nevada 1 2 6 

Love, Chas. R., Charleston 38 

Ludwick, Dr. A. L., Kansas City 59 

Lynes, T. W., Fulton '. 50 

McCaskill, C. O., Joplin 85 

McCully, Wm. E., Macon 11, 12 

McCune, Jeff D., Frankford 84 

McDowell, D. E., Joplin 34 

McGee, T. C, McGee 67 

McGrew, G. P., Mendon 91 

McKinney, E. F., Mercer 69 

Markell, W. B., Palmyra 48 

May, W. E., St. Clair 12 

May, J. W., Montevallo 45 

Mayer, Chas. H., St. Joseph 65 

Mead, H. C, Slater 61 

Meuschke, H. W., Jr., Sedalia 24 

Miller, W. X, Higbee 45 

Monsees, L. M., Smithton 41 

Moody, Edward N., Clarksville '. 74 

Mullins, A. W., Linneus 31 

Munson, Fred T., Osceola 25 

Murphy, S. R., Savannah 54 

Murphy, J. R., Paris 79 



99 

Name and address. Page 

Newman, Chas. F., Greenfield lg 

Nichols, Wm., Palmyra 22 

North, S. P., Gray Summit t 57 

Nothdurft, F. W., Whitewater 83 

Odell, W. L., Slater ' 82 

Ohlendorff, Chris., Boonville 92 

O'Neal, Prank T., Mount Vernon 53 

Ostner, Max L., Diehlstadt 30 

Owen, I. L., Jr., Monroe City 26 

Parkin, Felix J., Fredericktown 22 

Patrick, J. T., Calhoun '. 85 

Patterson, R. L., Smithville ; 17 

Parsons, S. G., Shelbina ; 79 

Peacock, Winfleld S., Lexington 34 

Perry, B. N, Noel 73 

Phipps, W. E., Stockton 40 

Pistole, J. C, Hopkins 64 

Pohl, C. F., Lincoln 60 

Pollock, Jno. W., Fayetteville 23 

Pope, S. H., Ozark 77 

Powell, Henry C, Higginsville 30 

Powell, Mrs. J. T., Meadville 93 

Ransburgh, J. L., New Madrid 27 

Rebsamen, Frank, Hermann 90 

Reeves, Chas. W., Milan 23 

Regli, W. O, St. Louis 44 

Rinehart, W. A., Queen City . 14, 25 

Roberts, .Jno. O., Clarksville 60 

Rollins, C. B., Columbia 56 

Roselius, B. A., Corning '. 92 

Rowe, M. Truman, Grain Valley 27 

Rowland, T. A., Bevier 49 

Rucker, Roy W., Keytesville 42 

Sackman, H. B., Cameron 82 

Sanders, H. W., Commerce 89 

Schofleld, E. L., Bolivar 28 

Schulte, A. F., Jr., Fredericktown 32 

Schuster, A. R., Lamine 74 

Schwensen, Chas., Mora 70 

Settle, J. W., Potosi 63 

Shanks, David, Sweet Springs 52 

Sharp, R. H., Reeds Springs 70 

Shelby, R. L, Charleston 37 

Shields, Leighton, St. Louis 32 

Shy, S. R., New Madrid 92 

Silver, R. D., St. Charles 61 

Skillman, John, Platte City 25 

Slade, John, Savannah 61 

Slatten, John S., Bethany 18 

Smith, Ben J., Ava 15 

Smith, Geo. .P., Napton 43 

Smith, W. H., Pacific 54 

Smith, C. B., Williamstown 86 

Smith, N. B., Roscoe 87 

Stapel, H. F., Rockport 59 

Still, H. M., Kirksville 49 

Storts, Com P., Slater 13 

Swink, E. E., Farmington v 46 

Taylor, J. S., Ozark 31 

Thomas, D. Clark, Knox City 20 

Thornton, G. W., Weaubleau 80 

Tising, J. F., High Point , 39 

Torrey, Jay L., Fruitville 51 

Trieber, Chas. C, California 16 

Vogelsang, Robt., Cape Girardeau 58 



100 

Name and address. Page 

Wagner, Louis, St. Louis .' 87 

Walker, Chas. L., Ozark 60 

Walker, J. S., Marceline ..' 45 

Walton, H., Mineral Point 77 

Watts, D. S., Marquand 47 

Wayman, Jas. D., Albany 58 

Webb, J. G., Higginsville 76 

Weinbrenner, Chas., St. Louis 50 

Wilder, Andrew, Ste. Genevieve 78 

Wilkerson, W. B., Novelty 80 

Wilson, J. M., Graham. 64 

Wills, C. W., Ozark : 14 

Williams, B. R., Silex 91 

Wingate, C. W., Sedalia 19 

Wolfe, B. F., Wheeling 84 

Woods, John A., Fayette 35 

V 



. IMPORTED BIRDS PROTECTED BY LAW. 

Sec. 6517. Killing certain birds prohibited— penalty. — Any person 
who shall take, capture or kill, except tinder permit, any woodcock, 
pinnated grouse (prairie chicken), ruffed grouse (pheasant), Mon- 
golian, Chinese or English pheasant, or other resident, migratory or 
imported game bird except as provided in section 6516, shall be pun- 
ished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than fifty 
dollars for each offense, and an additional fine of five dollars for each 
bird captured, killed or possessed. (Laws 1909, p. 519.) 



Sec. 6532. Failure of officer to perform duty — penalty.— Any 
official, officer or commissioner who shall fail to perform any act, duty 
or obligation enjoined upon him by the game and fish laws shall be 
guilty of misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a fine of not less than 
one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars and costs of 
prosecution. (Laws 1909, p. 519.) 



Sec. 6573. Certain officers deputy wardens. — All sheriffs, deputy 
sheriffs, marshals, constables and other peace officers are hereby de- 
clared to be ex officio game and fish commissioners. (Laws 1909, p. 519.) 



Sec. 6586. Trials, duty to report fines. — It shall be the duty of 

every justice of the peace, magistrate or clerk of the court before 
whom any prosecution under this article is commenced, or shall go on 
appeal, and within twenty days after the trial or dismissal thereof, to 
report in writing the result thereof, and the amount of fine collected, 
if any, to the state game and fish commissioner. (Laws 1909, p. 519.) 



Sec. 6530. Imprisonment for failure to pay fine. — Whenever, upon 
conviction, the person convicted fails to pay the fine and costs imposed 
upon him, he shall be committed to the jail of the county, or the city 
of St. Louis, or to some workhouse, and shall there be kept confined 
one day for each dollar of fine and costs adjudged against him, and he 
shall not be discharged or released therefrom by any board or officer, 
except upon payment of the portion of the fine and costs remaining 
unserved, or upon the order of the governor of this state. (Laws 
1909, p. 519.) 



